ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has asked the Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) to draft a national mental health policy and approve and implement it from the present government. What is the commitment?
Addressing the inaugural session of the 24th International Psychiatric Conference in the federal capital, which concluded here on Friday, he highlighted the ongoing mental health challenges in the country and stressed the need for collective action to tackle them. Organized by PPS under the theme “From Mental Health to Global Mental Health: The Need for a Public Mental Health Approach for Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Partnership”, the conference brought together more than 40 international delegates and leading mental health experts. went
Highlighting the country’s mental health crisis, the minister lamented the traumas Pakistan has endured, including wars, terrorism, suicide attacks, sectarian violence and natural disasters. He said that these incidents have left deep scars on the collective psyche of the nation. About 10,000 residents of Islamabad, or four percent of the city’s population, suffer from severe mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, noted psychiatrist Professor Saeed Farooq. He lamented the absence of mental health coverage in programs like the Sahat Sahla program and urged the federal minister to include severe mental illnesses in universal health schemes.
PPS President Professor Ghulam Rasool emphasized that the lack of a national mental health policy and inadequate mental health resources are increasing the burden of the disease. They called for urgent action to address these gaps and ensure equitable access to mental health services across the country.
PPS president-elect Dr. Wajid Ali Akhunzada emphasized the need to integrate mental health services into primary care.