Minister Basnet insists on making constitutional provisions for free healthcare effective

Kathmandu: Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet has insisted on translating free provisions for health and education enshrined by the Constitution into action.

All citizens should have access to healthcare facilities guaranteed by the Constitution, he said, adding that the government has taken steps to enforce the constitutional provisions for free healthcare facilities.

In his address to an inaugural session of the Adolescents' Mental Health Unit at the Mental Health Hospital, Lagankhel today, the Minister said 10 out of every 100 adolescents are found to have mental issues. He commended the hospital for establishing a dedicated unit to provide mental health services to adolescents.

The Minister spoke of the need for collective efforts among the State, social organizations, and citizens to mitigate mental health challenges by enhancing access to mental health services.

Lalitpur constituency 2 lawmaker Prem Bahadur Maharjan, Norwegian ambassador to Nepal, Torun Dramdal, and CWIN Nepal executive director Sumnina Tualadhar were among those putting their views into the program. The Norwegian ambassador pledged to cooperate with the Nepal government in the latter's endeavors to address mental health problems.