Mentally Distressed Care

Nepal’s transition from a singular to a federal system brought great promise of mental healthcare support. However, power decentralization is compromised by the financial and human resource limitations that undermine the independence granted to the lower tiers of government. Therefore, the current practice does not validate the government’s ambitious speechmaking considering the strengthening of the mental healthcare structure. Despite the allocation of enthusiastic mental health leadership at the federal level, the established lack of prioritizing mental health needs remains unaddressed. 

Nonetheless, the federalization system brings in strategic opportunities for NGOs like Chhahari to engage and collaborate with the newly formed tiers of government to promote mental health governance and government service provision through advocacy and accountability. Chhahari’s advocacy can play a  key to raising the profile of mental health on the political agenda. Chhahari’s person-centered approach can demonstrate the need for better Mental Health Care. Chhahari can collaborate collectively with the government and fill a critical governance gap by holding the government to account and stimulating people with mental health problems to claim their right to mental health. 

Despite the challenges of Nepal’s federal system, it provides scope for NGOs like Chhahari to play a more noticeable role in mental health governance and fill critical gaps that may help turn the government’s promises into pragmatism.