Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit announced that the government has launched a new Community Mental Health project to extend mental healthcare services to marginalized populations across the country, moving beyond major cities and specialized institutes.

Although launched initially as a pilot project in 20 upazilas, the government plans to gradually roll out the service across 500 upazilas nationwide.

The State Minister made the remarks as the chief guest on Tuesday  at a seminar titled "Social Mental Health: Stepping Stone to Inclusive Social Welfare," organized at Bangla Academy on the occasion of World Mental Health Day.

The event was jointly organized by several social development organizations, including Aachol Foundation, Human Rights Development Center (HRDC), and LIDO. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Employment Sayed Bin Abdullah and former Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Saidur Rahman also addressed the seminar.

Highlighting mental health as a critical global public health crisis, Dr. Muhit noted that armed conflicts, fast-paced lifestyle shifts, isolation, and digital addiction are severely impacting mental well-being, leaving youth and adolescents particularly vulnerable.

The State Minister emphasized that protecting human dignity is fundamental to society and statecraft. Pointing out that past violations of dignity and rights led to mass public resistance like August 5, he warned that failure to uphold human dignity risks unmanageable societal unrest, which the nation cannot afford to repeat.

Urging a structural shift in healthcare development strategy, Dr. Muhit stated that development projects must extend beyond constructing heavy infrastructure and procuring expensive machinery while lacking skilled personnel. He explained that the Community Mental Health project aims to directly link services from the National Institute of Mental Health in Dhaka and the Mental Hospital in Pabna to district and upazila levels.

Addressing the shortage of skilled mental health professionals at the upazila and union levels, the State Minister called upon universities and academic institutions to introduce two- to three-year vocational diplomas or technical courses. 

Emphasizing inter-ministerial coordination, Dr. Muhit stressed that mental health requires active collaboration among the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, and Ministry of Law. He also called for robust policy advocacy and community engagement to protect the human rights of mental health patients, ensure long-term rehabilitation, and eliminate social stigma.