NHTC Module-2b Training for Prescribers (5th Batch)
Five days of NHTC Module-2 training on mental health and two days of research and evaluation were successfully conducted by TPO Nepal in close coordination with the National Health Training Centre (NHTC) and Provincial Health Directorate, Gandaki province from 7th February to 13th February 2023 at Pokhara. The mental health training was conducted based on the NHTC Module 2b and the objective of this training was to train the Primary Health Care (PHC) workers on NHTC Module 2.
A total of 11 health workers (4M/7F), participated in the training. A pre-test and post-test were conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the training. The training was formally started with welcome remarks from Dr. Phanindra Prasad Baral (Section Chief, NCD, and Mental Health Section, DoHS) highlighting the importance of strengthening the capacity of primary health workers to provide quality mental health services at the community level on a task-sharing basis. He further explained the rationale behind developing different training modules for health workers and the plans of the government in upgrading mental health services. He also requested health workers to carry out activities in their community to reduce stigmas and create awareness regarding different mental health conditions. As a part of government monitoring and supervision, Mr. Santosh Paudel (Health Office, Parbat) and Mr. Badri Acharya (Health Office, Kaski) visited the training and emphasized the severity of mental health problems in the community and the importance of providing mental health services in primary healthcare settings and commitment of district health office to ensure quality mental health services.
The closing ceremony of the training was carried out in the presence of Dr. Binod Bindu Sharma (Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Health, Gandaki Province) where he shared the Gandaki Province’s plan to strengthen mental health services. He also handed out the training certificate to the participants which were provided by Health Training Centre, Gandaki Province. Furthermore, Dr. Roshan Neupane (Director, Provincial Health Logistic Center) stated the importance of procuring psychotropic drugs to support the trained prescriber and request the secretary to allocate the necessary funds and Mr. Khim Bahadur Khadka (Director, Health Directorate, Gandaki Province) shared his thoughts on the increasing trend of mental health conditions and awarded health workers to implement the knowledge they have gain in the training to help better serve the community. And, in the end, Ramesh Adhikari (Director, Health Training Center-Gandaki Province) formally closed the event by highlighting the importance of mental health training and their plans to carry out supervision activities of the trained health professionals. The training session was facilitated by Dr. Ram Prasad Lamichhane, Psychiatrist at Nova Hospital, and Dr. Anup Devkota, Psychiatrist at Karnali Academy of Health Science. Similarly, Ms. Sabitra Sharma, Clinical Supervisor/Trainer at TPO Nepal, facilitated the psychosocial sessions. Facilitators provided training on different mental health conditions and their psychosocial and pharmacological management in the primary health care setting using different methods such as lectures, discussions, role-play, videos, and group work.
