The Punjab government, for the first time, has initiated Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme (NCDCP) in the province while prevention of psychiatric and mental diseases is also being included in this programme so that such diseases could be checked at primary level.
The Director General Health Punjab Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry said this while addressing a workshop on psychiatric diseases, here at the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) on Thursday. The VC University of Health Sciences (UHS) Professor Dr Hussain Mubbasher Malik, Executive Director PIMH Dr Nusrat Habib Rana, family physician, friends of PIMH, representative of NGOs, mediamen and members of civil society participated in workshop and presented their proposals for the solution of problems.
Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry said that PC-I of NCDCP has been prepared while special training programmes would be chalked out for public as well as private sector doctors for the prevention of hypertension, diabetes, cancer and mental and psychiatric diseases.
He said that provision of medicines of psychiatric diseases at BHU level would be ensured. Professor Dr Hussain Mubbasher Malik said on the occasion that 13-percent of the country's total population is affected from mild to moderate mental psychiatric diseases. He said that present situation in the country is increasing psychological problems of common man.
He said that 90-percent mental as well as psychological diseases could be controlled/healed at primary level by counselling or minor medication. He said that as compared to the patients, there is a great shortage of psychiatrists in Pakistan. He said that this shortage could be overcome by giving training to the doctors of other fields, representatives of NGOs.
Executive Director Dr Nusrat Habib Rana stressed the need of extensive awareness regarding the mental diseases. She said that due to illiteracy, poverty and wrong beliefs people trapped by so called "Amils" and "Pir". She urged the people to consult qualified doctors and psychiatrists for their problems. She assured that PIMH would extend full co-operation for making Punjab government's programmes a success.