Bangladesh has only 270 psychiatrists for 21.25m mentally ill people

Online Desk :

Bangladesh has only 270 psychiatrists for 21.25 million people who are going through tough mental conditions.

It has only 543 physiologists for this large number of mentally ill people, making it tough for the patients to get minimum mental health support.

These were revealed on Monday at a media briefing on the eve of World Mental Health Day, to be observed across the world on October 10.

Light House, an NGO that deals with marginal, socially backward people, organised the programme, held at the Bangladesh Nari O Shishu Kollyan Parishad Conference Room in the city’s Purana Paltan area.

Light House Executive Director Md Harun Ar Rashid chaired, while Programme Manager (A & RD) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Md Manjur Hossain spoke among others.

Mr Rashid, presenting the keynote, said 18.7 per cent of youth aged 18 or above is suffering from mental illness in the country.

Among children and adolescents, it is 12.6 per cent.

The paper stated that 91 per cent of such patients don’t get treatment amid a lack of awareness as well as a scarcity of treatment facilities and counselling.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of such patients has increased.

However, only 0.5 per cent of the country’s healthcare budget is allocated to mental healthcare and services, according to the report.

Mr Rashid said the problem should be addressed vastly through awareness-raising programmes, apart from government initiatives. He said, the media should play the most crucial role in bringing about revolutionary change in this scenario.

Md Manjur Hossain said the country has less than 1.0 per cent of the mental health workforce, which is less than the requirement.

And only two specialised hospitals are in the country for such a vast population, he said.

He said only 270 psychiatrists and 543 psychologists are treating and counselling 12.5 per cent of the population who are going through tough mental conditions.

Of the psychiatrists and psychologists, above 90 per cent live in Dhaka, he said.

He said the ministry is working to raise the number of doctors and counsellors as well as decentralise the system so that people other than Dhaka also avail themselves of necessary treatment.

World Mental Health Day 2023 is being observed with the theme, ‘Mental health is a universal human right.