Fountain House Lahore, a project of the Lahore Mental Health Association, is celebrating its success story in last 35 years during which it helped the mentally ill to regain their self-esteem and confidence to become a useful member of the society.
The Lahore Mental Health Association (LMHA) in collaboration with World Psychiatric Association, Department of Psychiatry, Fatima Jinnah Medical College Lahore and Pakistan Psychiatric Society are holding Various programmes from July 11 to 16 in this regard.
Punjab Governor Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) will be the chief guest at the inaugural session on July 11, while Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi will be the chief guest at the concluding session on July 16.
Briefing about the Fountain House, its Honorary Executive Director, Professor Dr Haroon Rashid Chaudhry told newsmen here on Thursday that the house had so far provided treatment to over 3000 schizophrenic patients and the recovery ratio was 40 percent. Presently, there were 350 members (schizophrenic patients) admitted at the house out of which 60 were females. In order to maintain the patients' morale, they were called as members instead of patients, he added.
Responding to a question, he said the Fountain House's annual budget was Rs20 million and the federal government used to provide Rs1.55 million, provincial government contributed Rs1 million while Rs 3 million were received from the Zakat Fund. The remaining expenditures of Rs11.5 million were met through donations given by the philanthropists.
He said that at present there were 350 psychiatrists for over 150 million population in the country against WHO's recommendation of one psychiatrist for 10,000 patients. Psychiatric problems were on rise in the country due to genetics, environmental problems (including psychological and social) and chemical changes in the human brain. According to WHO, depression would be the second biggest disease in 2020 while it stoods5th at present.
About the causes of suicide, he said that people committed suicide when they were hopeless and helpless while depression was also one of the leading causes of suicide, he added. However, suicide cases were also being reported due to emotional attitude of the youth, he maintained.
About the treatment methods, Professor Dr Haroon said that occupational, musical and religious were three major sources of therapy for the mentally ill people. However, agro-therapy was also used under which members were taken to agri farms for cultivation of vegetables and fish farming.
He further said that the Fountain House's units had been named after world-renowned experts in psychiatry in recognition of their service in the filed. The House had also launched training programmes for general physicians and mental health professionals while psychiatric nursing course would soon be started, he added.