‘Number of psychologists to be increased at govt hospitals’

LAHORE
Adviser to chief minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said the government will focus on providing better facilities for mental health and it will increase number of psychologists at government hospitals for counselling of patients.
He was addressing a seminar regarding Mental Health Day titled “Caregiver’s Burden in Psychiatric Rehabilitation” organised by Punjab University Centre for Clinical Psychology (CCP), Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP), Pakistan Psychological Association (PPA) and Pakistan Association of Clinical Psychologists (PACP) at Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBB). PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran, Director CCP and IAP Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar, senior journalist Zahid Ch, General Secretary PPA Bilal Sufi, faculty members and a large number of students were present. Addressing the seminar, Khawaja Salman Rafique said people were facing various mental health related problems, but neither they had awareness nor attention had been paid to the subject. He said that Punjab government had sent various teams of psychologists for mental treatment of victims and survivors of various tragic incidents. He said the government needed help from senior psychologists and teachers for making comprehensive policy on mental health.
PU Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran said the nations wanted to rule the world had used the knowledge of human psychology for engineering consent of people.
Journalist Zahid Ch said mental health had totally been ignored in curriculum and media was also not paying heed to create awareness regarding mental health related issues. He said there was need to introduce this subject at school and college level. In her inaugural address, Director IAP and CCP Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar emphasised on the need for psychological first aid, accreditation council and inclusion of psychologist in the mental health bill. She paid tribute to the care of psychiatric patients who face immense burden for psychiatric patients. Bilal Sufi, General Secretary, PPA gave special talk with reference to Mental Health Day and role of PPA in awareness and promotion of mental health.
Students from IAP & CCP presented documentaries and poetry related to Mental Health.
Meanwhile, Salman Rafiq has said on the directives of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, elimination of quackery has been included in the crackdown on substandard and spurious drugs in the province and a collective campaign will be launched against both these elements playing with human lives.
He said this while addressing a meeting of Chief Minister Taskforce on eradication of fake drugs (South Punjab) at Civil Secretariat, according to a handout. Parliamentary Secretary, Health, and Vice Chairman, Taskforce, Kh. Imran Nazir, Additional Chief Secretary Syed Mubashar Raza, MPAs, Secretary, Health, Jawad Rafiq Malik, Director General, Health, Punjab, Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary, Drug Control, Dr Sohail Saqlain, officers of the Police Department and Additional Director General, Public Relations, Punjab Dr Aslam Dogar attended the meeting while commissioners and RPOs of Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Sargodha Divisions informed about the progress regarding ongoing operation against fake and substandard medicines in their respective divisions to the meeting through video link.
Kh Salman Rafiq said the CM directed that the follow up of the action taken by Health Department, district administration and taskforce against spurious drugs should be conducted and action should be taken against the element involved in this heinous business. Rawalpindi commissioner said 35 shops selling substandard medicines have been sealed and samples of 29 medicines have been sent to District Quality Control Board. He said action had also been started against those selling drugs in the garb of providing treatment to drug addicts. Gujranwala Commissioner said 42 persons have been arrested after registering FIR against them, drug licences of 10 people had been cancelled and 67 shops were sealed. He said action was being taken against big fish and flaxes had been displayed at public places of the city for participation of people and they were providing information to administration through telephone. Faisalabad Commissioner said raid was conducted at 7019 places and 476 samples were collected, out of which, 207 were found unsatisfactory. He said 53 places were sealed and 47 FIR were registered.
Additional Chief Secretary Syed Mubashar Raza said that the impact of the action taken by the commissioners and district administration against spurious drugs should be visible. Sargodha Commissioner said 1,435 shops were checked, samples of medicines were collected from 907 shops, 22 FIRs were registered, 38 shops places were sealed and 32 cases were sent to District Quality Control Board. Chief Operating Officer, Punjab Healthcare Commission, Dr Ajmal Khan gave a briefing regarding joint operation of drugs taskforce and future strategy and steps of PHC for eliminating quackery. Vice Chairman Taskforce on fake medicines Kh Imran Nazir directed that instead of focusing on medical stores, units manufacturing fake and substandard medicines should be taken to task.