It has been around 25 years that Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) has been operating, but it still does not have a ward for mental health patients. Dr SM Fariduzzaman, assistant professor of the hospital’s Psychiatry Department, said the hospital treats to 60-70 mental health patients in the Outdoor Section every day, but the hospital staff are awfully inadequate to open the mental health ward. “Due to various family issues and social instability, the number of mental health patients is on the rise. According to the National Mental Health Institute, 16% of the country’s population aged above 18 are suffering from various mental illnesses. “In the developed world, mental health and physical well-being are considered to be of equal importance.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 10, 2017 07:07 UTC