Roger Thompson
- May 9

#mentalhealthmatters

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ".

Galatians 6:2

HDCS-Namuna Community Hospital is a 15-bed community hospital situated in Sundarbazar Municipality of Lamjung District, Nepal. HDCS manages the hospital in order to bring quality health care services to the marginalized and those who can’t afford it. In this locality people travel for long hours on foot to other cities in neighbouring districts due to lack of medical facilities. Many of the villages and communities in the area don’t have paved roads and also lack access routes to major towns and cities. Most people rely only on subsistence agriculture for their food, having little education or knowledge about health and hygiene.

With funding from Bishops’ Appeal via CMSI, HDCS carried out two medical camps in remote areas of the municipality, providing medical services to a landslide disaster affected community in Dordi region.

Emergency events such as landslides and flooding have both a physical and psychological impact. Consequently, HDCS tend to the body and the mind of those needing help, offering counselling services at the clinic – it is truly holistic health care. In places where people fear discrimination and stigmatization because of mental health issues, this sort of support is even more vital.

Recently an individual who arrived at one of the health camps opted to attend a mental health counselling station. During the session she revealed that she had lived with mental health issues from early childhood. Due to familial conflict, her childhood was filled with strife and sadness. She said that five of her sisters took medication for their mental health issues, but she herself was afraid to talk to anyone about it. After sharing with staff at the health camp, she determined not to hide her struggles again but rather try to face them openly: “I felt that I was carrying a huge burden and that I was troubled and had a serious mental health issue but after my counselling session today I have learnt and understood more about mental health and now the burden in my heart feels lighter.”

While long-term, complex mental health issues need careful tending and expertise, sharing what is going on inside is the start of the journey on the road to recovery. #mentalhealthmatters