Pakistan has hardly 400 experts on mental health

Hyderabad: Complexities of life style and informational flood is causing increase in mental abnormalities in the society, whereas the negative and irresponsible attitude of society towards mental illness has further worsened the situation, said Dr. Nazar Muhammad Junejo, Medical Superintendent Sir C. J. Institute of Psychiatry Hyderabad.

He said that this era is marked by multiple interpersonal conflicts, originating out of non adoptive mismatch of personality characteristic, which of course, insinuate during early years of life as such we are required to contribute the goals, in right direction by developing a unified and coordinated campaign for this cause. He said that this can be accomplished by adopting protocols for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of child and adolescent mental health problems, boosting the research in this area. Dr. Nazar Muhammad Junejo announced that two days first National Conference on "Child and adolescent mental health was being organized from April 30 to May 1, 2011 at Sir C. J. Hospital Hyderabad. He said that psychiatric specialists, educationalists, sociologists, writers, lawyers, intellectuals from all over country have been invited to attend and focus on the issues relating to mental health in the country and give the recommendations.

He said that this national conference would also be proved as instrumental source for the general awareness towards bringing behavioural change of society which was very much essential while dealing with mentally ill patients. He said it was irony of fate that the people even don't own their mentally ill family members after admitting them in the hospital. He said that media can play important role in bringing behavioural change in the society. Nazar Muhammad Junejo to a question said that this institute was designed for 425 indoor patients but due to maintenance problems, its capacity is being decreased. He sai! d at pre sent about 300 patients are admitted in the hospital out of which 15 to 20 mentally ill patients are unattended. Dr. Moin Ahmed Ansari chairman Organizing Committee of the moot said that instead of having good talent and potential manpower, the general production of organizations comparatively in our country was being decreased, because of mismatch of personality characteristics, depression among the working manpower, which they inheriting from their childhood. He said that we must have to adopt a national level policy for addressing this important issue and this conference would be first imitative in this regard. Responding a question, Ansari said that more or less 400 specialist doctors of mental health are available in the country. He said that this is very low ratio because of less interest and low income from this specialist.