Free Psychiatric/ Epilepsy clinic at Ahbab Hospital Ravi Road Lahore has completed its 19 years of free community mental health services. This free clinic is being run by the NGOs Peace (Project for Environmental Protection, Anti-Narcotics & Community Education) and Flame (First Liberated Action Movement Against Epilepsy), working in the field of mental health.
Over 120,000 deserving patients have received free psychiatric/epilepsy consultation and medicines so far.
Around 40 percent of patients represented Punjab while rest of the patients, have attended this facility from other provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan.
The treatment team is comprised of Professor Haroon Rashid Chaudhry, Head Department of Psychiatry Fatima Jinnah Medical College/Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore, doctors, clinical psychologists, socials workers, housewives and students of behavioural sciences.
Over 50 students of medicine, psychology, social work and behavioural sciences got training during this period. As many as 40 medical doctors and 30 psychologists have also received training in this period.
Beacon House School System, Olympia Carpets, Prime Dairies, Royal Fans, Mrs MM Khan, Mrs Arsalan and Mrs Naqvi have generously supported this project.
Talking about the disease of Epilepsy, Professor Haroon told Business Recorder here on Saturday that the disease of epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of brain and affects the people of all cultures.
The prevalence of epilepsy in the general population is usually quoted as 0.5 percent (1 in every 100). Although, no accurate data is available for the incidence or prevalence of epilepsy in Pakistan, it can be assumed that the disease is as prevalent Pakistan as in other countries, he added.
To a question he said epilepsy affects 1 percent of the World's population or 45 million people. Current treatment leads to satisfactory control in only 60 to 70 percent of people. This leaves an estimated 20 million people world-wide with the disease who have no means of satisfactorily control.
He maintained that the disease of epilepsy is curable in 65 percent cases, provided the treatment is carried out for a particular period of time, according to advice of the physician.