Pabna Mental Hospital

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu, Pabna

Family members of patients with mental illnesses seeking treatment at Pabna Mental Hospital are being harassed by brokers outside who demand money to get them an appointment with a doctor inside or lure them to privately run so-called mental health clinics.

Long understaffed by doctors and facilities overstretched, services at the country’s first specialised hospital for treatment of mental illnesses have further been diminished over the last few months due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Amidst the global pandemic fallout, World Mental Health Day 2020 is being observed today with the goal of increased investment in mental health programmes at the national and international levels.

The 500-bed public hospital is running with 350 general beds and 150 paying ones, said the hospital director, Dr ATM M Morshed.