Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who has already taken various initiatives in health, education and other social sectors, is very keen to patronise and enhance mental health coverage to the needy population in the province.
This was stated by Punjab Health Minister, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, while addressing the 4th National Symposium on Psychiatric Updates organised by Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) in collaboration with Department of Psychiatry King Edward Medical University (KEMU) here on Saturday.
Among others, Professor Dr Mumtaz Hassan, vice-chancellor, KEMU, Professor Dr Muhammad Riaz Bhatti, President, PPS, Professor Dr Zafarullah Khan, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, KEMU, Professor Dr Mahmood Hassan, Professor of Psychiatry, Bangladesh and Dr Aftab Iqbal Sheikh, President, Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians also spoke on the occasion.
The health minister maintained that the Punjab government had decided in principle to open 10-bed psychiatric units at district level in the province, with appointment of a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist in these units.
It would be a major step forward to extend the psychiatric cover to the needy and deserving patients in the province. Secondly, he said, the government had also approved the upgradation of major teaching psychiatric units, into Institutes of Psychiatry, which would further enhance the cause of psychiatry and postgraduate education in the province.
He further said that every individual was facing stress, whose type, magnitude and duration might be different but its effects on the individuals were almost the same. He called for taking steps to prevent psychiatric disorders and reducing the stigma attached with mental diseases.
PPS President Professor Dr Muhammad Riaz Bhatti said on the occasion that the application of principles of mental health and behavioural sciences could contribute immensely to general health care and help put right faulty behaviour, which leads to drug dependence, road accidents and social crimes.
This could also help in improving the socio-cultural milieu, religious and economic character of the nation, and enhance the quality of life of the people, he added. He said that the theme of today's Symposia "Integration of Mental Health Services with General Practitioners & Physicians" was the need of the day, as psychiatrists were limited in number and could not fulfil the psychiatric services needs, of 160 million people.
Later, in the scientific sessions, mental health professionals Dr Imran Haider, Professor Mussarat Hussain, Professor Javed Akram, Professor Mahmood Hassan, Professor Haroon Rashid Chaudhry, Dr Zahid Mahmood, Professor Dr Rizwan Taj, Dr Zahid Nazar, Dr Farooq Naeem, Dr Altaf Qamar and Professor Rizwan A Taj spoke on different psychiatric issues.
In a special session on media and awareness former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Justice Allah Nawaz, Professor Dr Riaz Bhatti, Dr Amjad Islam Amjad, Atta ul Haq Qasmi, Dr Nosheen K Rehman, Dr Kausar Sohail, Allama Pir Muhammad Saifullah and others spoke on the occasion.
They called for creating more awareness among the people so that they could be saved from unscrupulous elements, who used to exploit the innocent people facing different psychiatric problems.