Call to create awareness about behavioural, psychiatric disorders

LAHORE :Noted Pakistani-American psychiatrist Dr Rizwan Malik has said that behavioural and psychiatric disorders are as important to address as other medical illnesses and there is a need to create awareness about diagnosis and treatment of the disorders.

Speaking at a seminar titled “A brief overview of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents” at Punjab University’s Center for Clinical Psychology (CCP) here on Thursday, he said depression would be among the most widespread diseases of the world in the coming few years. Dr Rizwan Malik said there was a severe shortage of qualified child psychiatrists in Pakistan and there was a need to create awareness among people, including those in the medical field, to identify and work on various resources that could help thousands of children in the country who were not either properly diagnosed or were subsequently placed on medications or treatments that might not be suitable for them. He added the dearth of trained practitioners was also faced by the western world. He said for every 100,000 children facing behavioural and psychiatric disorders only one trained psychiatrist was available in the United States. Dr Rizwan Malik, Diplomate American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, also said there was a need to remove taboos attached with mental illnesses to save precious human lives and provide healthy living conditions to those suffering from different psychological disorders. He also said people suffering from behavioural and psychiatric disorders tended to keep such illnesses secret fearing family and social reaction which was quite unfortunate and dangerous for patients. This leads to more complex situation and adds to the sufferings of those affected. He said psychiatrists and psychologists needed to work together to provide coping skills to those suffering by organising constant therapy sessions besides prescription of medicines. Also an expert in treating autism in children, Dr Malik said it was his dream to initiate massive awareness of autism in Pakistan and added he planned to build an outpatient clinic and an inpatient facility/hospital in Lahore to treat children who have severe behavioural and psychiatric disorders. Dr Malik who has been the medical director of a 200-bed psychiatric hospital in Washington DC, said federal and provincial governments in Pakistan and other institutions, including universities, colleges and schools, needed to make concerted efforts to fight the menace of rising drug abuse among youths. Punjab University’s Center for Clinical Psychology Assistant Professors Dr Aisha Sitwat and Humaira Naz, lecturer Rabia Dasti and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

PMC: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has rejected the recently announced Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) ordinance by the government and dissolution of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

In a statement issued on Thursday, PIMA President Prof Muhammad Afzal Mian said it an undemocratic hastily taken decision.

“PIMA believes that an ordinance on an extremely important issue of medical education and its regulation is brought in force bypassing the parliament in a very hasty manner.

This is a total distrust on people of Pakistan,” he stated. Seven out of nine members of the council are nominated by one person, i.e. the prime minister of Pakistan, as opposed to previous democratic elections, he stated, adding this spoke of dictatorial style of governing.

Despite presence of several professional bodies, no stakeholder has been taken on board. With handpicked nominations in the first place, who can expect merit and accountability in functions of various sub-committees, he questioned.

There are contradictions in the same ordinance regarding standards of accreditation and their implementation which will lead to serious effects on the standard of medical education in the country.

The sudden announcement has shell shocked thousands of medical/dental students and doctors in training who were waiting for their registrations or experience, and put a cloud over their future in the country where such delicate decisions are made in haste, said the PIMA president..

PIMA demanded immediate cancellation of the ordinance, opening of PMDC office and restoration of its functions. This will bring respite to the medical/dental students and doctors in training who are waiting for their progress halted abruptly.