Second International Conference on community mental health kicks off

Chitwan, May 1: The Second International Conference on Community Mental Health has begun in Chitwan district from today. Mayor of Bharatpur metropolitan city, Renu Dahal, inaugurated the conference.     

Inaugurating the conference, Mayor Dahal shared that all should involve with shared determination for constructing a mental hospital in Bharatpur.     

She mentioned, "We are eager and ready to add another dimension in Medical City by establishing a mental hospital."     

"It is necessary to take the conclusions drawn by the conference to the level of policy making and contribution of all is needed for its implementation", argued Mayor Dahal.     

Similarly, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Bikas Devkota, shared that it was compulsion to work in mental health sectors with limited sources and equipment.     

"The conference will disseminate message to lower level of the society and will play role to reduce mental health problems in some extent", he argued.     

Mayor of Ghorahi sub-metropolis in Dang, Naru Lal Chaudhary, said prosperity of the country was possible only from healthy citizens.     

Likewise, Chitwan Medical College Chair and Managing Director Prof Dr Harish Chandra Neupane mentioned that the conference would be fruitful to impart knowledge and skill in the society while programme coordinator Shreedhar Poudel stated that people are now openly talking about their mental health issues.     

Vice-Chancellor of Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Science, Hetauda, Dr Pradeep Gyawali, Chairperson of Bharatpur Hospital Development Committee, Raju Poudel, Psychiatrist at Chitwan Medical College, Dr Shailendra Adhikari and Dr Simran Chaudhary, among others expressed their views about mental health.     

People from various countries including America, Norway, India and Nepal have been participating in the conference where more than 60 working papers would be presented and more than 100 speakers would talked about mental health.     

The three-day conference is underway under the slogan 'For the Community, With the Community: Fostering Collaborations in Mental Health'.     

Psychiatrists, psychologists, psychosocial workers, experts of health sectors, representatives of health ministry, social organisations have been participating in the conference organized at the collaboration of national and international organisations including Chitwan Medical College, Nepal Institute of Mental Health, Health Foundation Nepal, US, Department of Health Services and Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.(RSS)