Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday said Bangladesh can be a role model in dealing with mental health ailment as the country is already taking massive programme to improve mental health services, reports BSS.
“We have been lauded globally for tackling COVID-19 pandemic... we are now focusing on providing quality mental healthcare facilities” he told a workshop titled ‘Ensuring mental healthcare facilities at community level’ at the National Mental Health Institute and Hospital in the city, an official release said.
Secretary of Health Service Division Dr Muhammad Anwar Hossain Haqlader, Director of National Mental Health Institute and Hospital, mental health specialists and senior officials of the health ministry, among others, attended the workshop. Saima Wazed, also the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said, “Bangladesh is facing acute shortage of mental health specialist. So, the country must focus on developing mental health experts to provide quality treatment facilities to the patients,” she added.
Saima Wazed laid emphasis on formulating effective laws, policies and strategies to address the gradually rising mental health disease.