Psychiatrists launch psychotrauma relief plan

Prominent psychiatrists from all over the country have launched an immediate programme for the provision of evidence based, scientific, and comprehensive health care system for survivors of all forms of psychotrauma resulting from the recent floods. In a meeting held at University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Friday, the programme named as "The Psychotrauma Relief Plan for Survivors of Flood 2010 (PTRPF 2010)", was unanimously approved.
The programme aims at co-ordinating all mental health initiatives for flood affected people besides training of health personnel on flood relief duties for the provision of mental health psychosocial support and rational use of psychotropic drugs. Highlighting the major objectives of the programme, Professor Mowadat H. Rana of Centre for Trauma Research and Psychosocial Intervention, Armed Forces Institute for Mental Health, Rawalpindi, said on Friday that it is aimed at ensuring availability of psychological firstaid by trained manpower at all health service delivery points.
"We want to launch an awareness campaign for community, media, and the policymakers regarding the need for psychosocial care during all phases of floods relief efforts," Professor Rana stated. "If they are provided psychosocial care, it would rekindle hope, renew trust, promote social cohesion and reduce suicidal ideation in the flood affected people", he said.
Professor Rana emphasised that the media should play a positive role and give authentic information about the losses besides building trust in relief efforts. Vice Chancellor UHS, Professor Malik Hussain Mubbashar said that recent floods had been one of the biggest disasters in Pakistan. It has killed over 1600 and more than 20 million have been affected.
He said more than four million people are homeless. Most of them are living in wretched conditions. Thousands are sleeping on roads and have very little food and clean drinking water. The United Nations has warned that upto 3.5 million children could be affected by waterborne diseases. The floods have ruined crops over 1.6 million acres.
He further said that at least 200,000 livestock have died and millions are at risk. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that Pakistan could face food shortages if its farmers miss the wheat planting season which would start from October.
The vice chancellor UHS warned mental health workers that there is great need to pay attention on psychosocial issues of flood victims. He further said that mental health problems are far more severe in magnitude than other health issues in flood affected areas and by providing psychosocial health care system a bloody revolution can be averted. Chairman Pakistan Medical Society, Dr Masood Shaikh and other experts also spoke on the occasion and highlighted problems emerged due to recent floods in the country.