Hot-Line Telephone Service
The mental hospital receives patients from all over the country, as it is the only hospital of its kind inNepal. Many come from far off places and hence, a regular follow up is not possible. Similarly, many patients are reluctant to come to the hospital for treatment of their problems because of the associated stigma. In order to address these issues and to assist those who want any scientific information related to mental health and mental illness, the hot – line telephone service was started on July 1, 2010.
Currently, the hospital has provided a hotline telephone number for this service which can be accessed from 11 am to 1 pm on Sunday to Friday. Anyone who needs any information related to medications, treatment, follow up, side effects, mental disorders or any other topic related to mental health, can call the hotline number during the aforementioned time. Mental health experts are available in the hotline number to answer any relevant queries related to mental health.
Hotline telephone number – 01 – 5530000
Time – 11 am to 1 pm
Days – Sunday to Friday (Closed on Saturdays and Government holidays)
Community Mental Health Program
A national mental health plan based on integrated community based mental health services is the need of the hour, and the mental hospital aims to create a best practice model for mental health integration with primary health care to be deployed throughout Nepal. In lieu with this aim, the mental hospital has already started running a pilot project aimed at providing community based mental health services in the Nuwakot and Dhading districts of the central developmental region. This effort needs to be extended to all the 75 districts ofNepal, so that community based mental health services are available to all of the general population ofNepal.
Currently, monthly outreach clinics are held at theRajmargaSamudayikHospital, Malekhu, Dhading on the first Sunday of every Nepali month. Similarly, the clinic in Nuwakot is held on the second Monday of every Nepali month. A mental health team comprising of a Psychiatrist, paramedical staffs and a registration staff visit the outreach clinics to deliver the services.
Similarly, 12 paramedical staffs each, from the dhading and nuwakot districts, working in various health centers have been trained at the mental hospital in basic community mental health services.
Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP)
The Methadone Maintenance Program was the first Oral Substitution Therapy program that was started inNepalin the year 1994 AD at the mental hospital, which was phased out in 2002 AD due to various reasons.
The program was restarted inKathmanduat the TU Teaching hospital in 2007 AD, and currently, it has been again started at the mental hospital in 2011.
Methadone is being dispensed to more than 100 clients per day on all days in a year. Besides that psychosocial counseling is also being provided to the clients under the guidance of Clinical Psychologist.
Extended Paying OPD Services
The general OPD registration hour was insufficient to cater to the needs of the growing number of patients. As the registration hours would end at 12 PM, mid day, patients from far off places and emergency cases couldn’t make it in time. Many patients who wanted some privacy and also wished to avoid the crowd of the general opd, didn’t have any other option.
In view of all these shortcomings, the extended OPD services were started from June 2010. The paying OPD registration hour has been fixed from 2 PM till 5 PM, and OPD services are provided by Psychiatrists. This service is provided on all days except on Saturdays and government holidays.
Psychological Services
After the appointment of a qualified clinical psychologist on a contract basis, the clinical psychology services have become more regular in the past few months. Psychological consultation to the inpatients, psychotherapy, counseling and psychological testing are done during the general opd hours. Registration for this service has to be done from 9 AM till 12 PM on all days, except Saturdays. On other government holidays, this service closes at 11 AM.