Kripa Sigdel
Kathmandu, October 10
Nepal Mental Health Foundation (NMHF) organized a national level program on this year’s Mental health day with the support of UNFPA in Kathmandu. With the theme ‘Living with Schizophrenia’, the event focused various surveys done on mental health issues. The Minister from Health and Education presided over the program.The main show of the program was the felicitation to the journalist Benup Bhattarai for his journalistic endeavour in the Mental health. He was coferred with the certifficate of appreciation with the cash prize of Rs. 25000.
In the time where there are very few journalists working to highlight issues of Mental Health, awarding journalist is very encouraging thing NMHF did.The event also was a good platform to interact with policy makers and NGO persons and the people who are interested to work on Mental Health in Nepal.The interaction was basically foucused on the need of proper flow of Psychologcial information to everyone. I personally raised a question ‘Why we cannot have a subject or even a chapter in a course book in school level which gives information about Psychology/Mental Health?’ Most of the participants agreded to that question. But the main question here is ‘When are we including this in our course book?’’Is only question-answer round with the policy makers will bring a difference?Confusions and Doubts are all over.We celebrated Mental Health Day with the good number of participants with the good motive. But what about ramining other 364 days.
Can we be eqally aware and willing to work on this issue???I am happy that I participated in the program. NMHF,UNFPA and all other participating organizations did great job coming in a platform and to raise awarness and motivate the journalist who is writing on tthe ‘’most un-heard topic’’ in Nepal, Mental health.
Still doubt is on whethere we are really trying to raise awarness and send the message to the mass or not.If only, we could make every individual here aware about Mental health and Psychological knowledge…then the real celebration of Mental health day will be successful.
