Sufferings of mentally ill people

Sufferings of mentally ill people

It was really unfortunate to read the news about the people with mental illness have been deprived of their medicines and counselling due to pandemic corona virus. These people need to take their medicines regularly as per their doctors’ advice and regular counselling depending on the severity of the level of their mental illness. Otherwise, their health conditions start deteriorating causing severe consequences. Unlike the other patients, they cannot buy their medicines without doctor’s prescriptions. Doctors say that discontinuation of psychiatric medication could lead patients to a psychotic, manic or severely depressed state. There is also the risk of patients taking their own lives.

I am not so sure who in the government is responsible to ensure regular supply of medicines to these mentally ill people at this time of difficult situation. There must be an increasing number of such cases in the country suffering from anxiety and depression due to Covid 19. The chances of committing suicide of these people, if they do not timely get medicines and necessary counselling, are high. Nepal ranks seventh highest rate of suicide cases among other countries.

I wish to share about this neglected issue from today’s (Sep.10/2020) The Kathmandu Post for further information and reference. 

Many mental health patients deprived of medication and counselling during pandemic

 

Mental health specialists have said the coronavirus pandemic has discontinued the care and treatment of many patients, as the country has been under a lockdown and other restrictions since March 24.

Patients living in small towns and villages have been particularly hit hard, because for many of them their regular therapy sessions and medicines have stopped with the restrictions put in place to control the virus spread.

Doctors at Nepal Mental Hospital in Lalitpur say unlike the patients of other diseases, people suffering from mental illness cannot buy medicines from pharmacies without prescriptions.

Discontinuation of medication or counselling could cause a patient’s condition to deteriorate, say the doctors.

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