. KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSS) lawmaker KP Khanal has urged the government to formulate a new policy keeping mental health in the national priority, saying the increasing cases of self-immolation in the country of recent period have caused serious concern.
Speaking in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, lawmaker Khanal said that the state of mental health caused by self-immolation and the government mechanisms related to this need to be seriously reviewed. Stating that despite remarkable progress in the field of science and technology, works have not been as expected in the field of mental health, he said the increasing incidence of depression, anxiety and self-immolation has made the society more sensitive.
‘Unpleasant incidents of self-immolation have been occurring in recent times. This has deeply worried me. The time has come for us to think deeply and have a comprehensive discussion about mental health. “
Lawmaker Khanal said that mental health services are still limited, unequal and capital-centric, and it has not been able to provide easy access to services to the citizens across the country.
According to him, mental health is not only related to disease but also related to the balance of biological, psychological and social aspects and it needs to be addressed from a holistic perspective. Pointing out the need of formulating new policy related to mental health with timely revision, he said the government should initiate institutional reforms in this sector. Lawmaker
Khanal urged the government to establish a ‘Mental Health Council’ to make mental health services effective.
He urged the government as well as the opposition parties to take mental health as a common national agenda and help in making necessary legal and policy arrangements.
‘Mental Health Council should be set up in Nepal. “There is a need to create a mechanism for effective monitoring and management of mental health services with the participation of qualified and skilled psychologists,” he said.
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