Mon, 12 October 2026
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Mon, 12 October 2026
Kathmandu, Oct 12: Minister for Health and Food Safety Nisha Mehta has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making mental health services more accessible, affordable, effective and responsive to the needs of patients, stressing that no one should feel neglected or humiliated when seeking help.
Speaking at a programme organized today by the Ministry of Health and Food Safety on the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2026, Minister Mehta reiterated that mental health remained a government priority.
The World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on October 10.
Mehta went on to assert, "I want to make it clear on behalf of the government that mental health is one of our priorities. Our goal is to end situations in which people experiencing mental health problems feel humiliated or neglected when they seek treatment and support."
During her address, Minister Mehta mentioned that the government is committed to creating an environment in which every citizen could speak openly about mental health concerns, receive timely support and live with dignity.
Highlighting the need for a strong legal framework to organize and expand mental health services, she took the programme as an opportunity to share that the Cabinet had already approved a concept paper on mental health.
"The government would now move forward with drafting legislation based on the approved framework," she assured.
The Minister also underscored the need to eliminate the difficulties people face in finding appropriate mental health care, calling for easier access to services ranging from early intervention and basic treatment to specialized care.
During the programme, she pledged to take forward the initiative of the government to prioritize the allocation of beds for mental health services in hospitals with more than 100 beds and improve the overall management of such services.(RSS)
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