Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) Gandaki and other organizations submitted a memorandum to the head of the hospital, Dr. Bharat Khatri, on 6 April 2023, demanding the addition of psychosocial health services at the Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences.
The psycho-social and mental health services in the hospital are only available externally and the hospital doesn’t provide services to patients who require hospitalization. The patients requiring such treatments are compelled to go to private hospitals.
Shiv Khakurel of INSEC, Rakshita Lamichhane of Koshis, Bhuvan Sapkota of Kopila Nepal, Vindhu Acharya of Shakti Group, Ramesh Pandey of Three Angels Nepal, Shankar Nepali of CWIN Nepal, Arjun Sunar of Psychosocial Disability, Ram Chandra Adhikari, Anand Paudel and Jayakrishna Pokharel jointly submitted the memorandum.
In the memorandum, it is mentioned that in section 35 (7) of the Act Relating to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2017, there is a provision for the treatment of persons with mental and psychosocial health problems. It has been demanded that priority should be given to adequate psychosocial and mental health services in the hospital.
The head of the hospital, Dr. Bharat Khatri, expressed his commitment to giving priority to the service facilities.