CHITWAN:A National Mental Health Centre is set to be established within the premises of Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday between Bharatpur Hospital and the Nepal Institute of Mental Health (NIOMH) to initiate and operate the centre.

The MoU was signed by Raju Paudel, Chairperson of the Bharatpur Hospital Development Committee; Professor Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel, Chief Medical Superintendent of Bharatpur Hospital; Dr. Shreedhar Paudel, Executive Director of NIOMH; and Dr. Khagendra Kafle, member of NIOMH’s executive committee.

As per the agreement, the centre will run programs focused on delivering accessible, high-quality, multi-dimensional, and integrated mental health services using advanced, international-level technologies.

Dr. Shreedhar Paudel, also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in the U.S., said the centre aims to improve the mental and psychosocial health of Nepalis, enhance access to mental health services across the country, and help people live more productive and healthy lives.

He noted that currently only 15 to 20 percent of individuals with mental health issues in Nepal receive treatment, as most psychiatrists and mental health facilities are concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley. He expressed confidence that the centre in Chitwan would help decentralize and expand services beyond the capital.

The centre will not only provide treatment but will also focus on capacity building, research, public awareness, advocacy, and rights-based mental healthcare.

Raju Paudel, Chair of the Bharatpur Hospital Development Committee, acknowledged the role of Nepali mental health professionals working abroad in bringing quality mental healthcare to Nepal. Professor Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel expressed hope that the collaboration would help develop skilled human resources in the mental health field.

Both institutions agreed to jointly manage financial resources, infrastructure, equipment, laboratories, and human resources necessary for the centre’s operation.

According to the Nepal Mental Health Atlas 2020 published by the World Health Organization, Nepal has six mental hospitals and 25 mental health clinics embedded within various hospitals. The number of psychiatrists in Nepal is fewer than one per 100,000 people.

With rising cases of depression, anxiety, and suicide following the COVID-19 pandemic, both organizations believe the new National Mental Health Centre will significantly contribute to raising awareness at the community level and delivering effective mental health services.