“When you come from a strapped rural county where funding is cut every year,” Kahai said, “you have to manage by compromising. It’s a sad reality. Often those kids need the facilities the most, yet they end up deprived.”
Dr. Jugta Kahai
Jugta Kahai, MD, FAAP (image credit: Border Belt Independent)
NCMS Board member Jugta Kahai, MD, FAAP, is the pediatric medical director at Columbus Regional in Whiteville. In a recent article, she addresses children’s mental health in rural North Carolina.
According to the article, nationwide, children are dealing with a mental health crisis that experts say is fueled by bullying, the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination and other stressors. Unfortunately, placement can be hard to find at a pediatric mental health facility in North Carolina.
Read the full article here.