Only 2% of the budget is allocated to the health sector and 0.4% of the 2% budget is earmarked for the treatment of mental health
From Our Correspondents
Sukkur
Psychiatrists have expressed concern over the lack of experts in the field of psychology in Pakistan, the government’s apathy towards mental health treatment, suicides of the young generation and increasing trend towards drugs.
About 35% of the population in Pakistan needs psychologists, psychiatrists said at a one-day seminar organized by Hope for All Social Development Organization in collaboration with Khairpur Medical College and Schizophrenia Outreach Larkana on the topic of “Mental Health, International Priority” at the auditorium of Sukkur IBA University on Saturday.
Addressing the seminar, Dr. Badruddin Junejo, Head of Schizophrenia Outreach Larkana (SOL) said that poverty, inflation, social inequality, domestic violence and other reasons are spreading the mental disorders rapidly.
“But most of the people are ignorant about mental health (psychiatric diseases)” Dr. Zulfiqar Rahojo, a psychologist and chairman of Sindh Progressive Thinkers Forum, said and added that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics of 2017, there are a total of 342 psychologists, 478 psychiatry and mental health professionals for a population of about 2100 million in Pakistan.
A total of 3 thousand 145 expert social workers are working for awareness, he said adding that 4% of the patients suffering from various diseases in Pakistan are mentally ill, most of whom are women, while 35% of the country’s population needs psychiatric help at some point or the other.
He said that with a rate of 0.5, Pakistan is among the lower middle countries of the world in terms of mental disorders.
He said that economic crisis, inequality, class, urban and rural differences and lack of facilities are the major causes of mental illnesses.
Dr. Rahojo further said that in Pakistan, only 2% of the budget is allocated to the health sector and 0.4% of the 2% budget is allocated for the treatment of mental health (psychiatric disorders) which is insufficient.
There are a total of 5 hospitals for the treatment of psychiatric disorders in the whole country which are located in Karachi, Hyderabad and Lahore. Most of the population lives in rural areas, and due to the lack of psychiatric hospitals and doctors, people in rural areas seek treatment of certain mental illnesses with the help of old tricks, wisdom tips and prescriptions, and people attribute mental illnesses to ghosts and nerves, due to which mental diseases are increasing.
Dr. Harish Kumar Makheja, Head of Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Khairpur Medical College, said that due to high usage of mobile gaming in Pakistan, lack of time required by parents and homework burden to schools, psychiatric disorders are increasingly common, but the country has only one child psychologist for a population of 0.4 million children, leading to an increase in suicides in schools, colleges and universities.
Students are facing difficulties, and for this reason educational institutions have to reduce the study load on children, while parents have to establish friendly relationship with their children and give them time.
Rabia Mirza, chairperson of Hope for All Social Development Organization, while addressing the seminar, said that the entire society is trapped in psychological depression, due to which anarchy is spreading in the society, and the young generation is moving towards addiction and suicide. “But no one is willing to talk about mental health issues.”
“We have started a mental health awareness campaign on behalf of our organization to draw the attention of government and society.”
Dr. Inayatullah Awan, Head of Department of Psychology, GM College, Sukkur, in his address said that Pakistani society is suffering from mental disorders, and the gender inequality, wars, floods and epidemics are the causes of mental disorders.
He said that inequality has created serious problems for the poor and marginalized people in Pakistan. Due to Corona epidemic, big flood and recent inflation, mental diseases, addiction, depression, boredom, suicide, quarrels and other mental diseases have increased in the society.
Lack of treatment and inadequate facilities have worsened the situation.
Supreme Court lawyer Ghulam Shabir Babar said that behind the elements of dangerous crimes and terrorism in the society, mental illnesses are also involved. “People suffering from mental illnesses go into the world of crime,” he said and added that a sick society can never be free from crime.
Psychologists at the seminar demanded that mental health should be mainstreamed by bridging the gap in mental health services at the state level; increase the number of public and private partnership institutions for mental health; increase the health budget and keep a bigger budget for mental health; conduct awareness campaigns about mental health through media, and reforms should be brought in existing laws regarding mental health. In order to protect children from mental illnesses, the mental health should be addressed in schools, communities and institutions, while the psychologists should be provided more facilities and sent to rural areas and small towns.
Professor Ghulam Hussain Manganhar, Raj Rajpar, Jamal Shoro and others also addressed the seminar on this occasion.
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