User:Drhotiana/sandbox

--Drhotiana (talk) 22:02, 6 February 2015 (UTC)

Psychotrauma Centre, King Edward Medical University (KEMU)
The Peshawar school attack has pushed the Punjab government to establish psycho-trauma centres for victims of natural disasters, accidents, and terrorist attacks.The move was announced in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister’s National Psycho-Social Advisory Council coordinator Marvi Memon at the Health Department on Monday. She revealed that in the aftermath of the terrorist activity in Army Public School Peshawar, the need for such a solution was felt at the national level. It is imperative for Pakistan to establish such institutions for the rehabilitation of the victims of such incidents.She said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had immediately ordered the establishment of the National Psycho-Social Advisory Council. She said that the children, parents, and other victims of these unfortunate incidents go through mental and psychological trauma and its affects last for a long time.Stressing need for such centres at provincial level, she said that helping affected persons recover from mental and psychological shocks and solving their psychosocial problems is the need of the hour.

It was decided that the provincial Psycho-Social Advisory Committee be established immediately. Memon said that three senior experts from each province have been included in the National Advisory Council.

The meeting decided to take on board the Health Department, Information Department, Home Department, PDMA, medical colleges, universities, higher education, school education and other institutions for preparing guidelines, social mobilisation, awareness campaigns and other activities. This was done so that a comprehensive and consolidated strategy could be prepared before the action plan was implemented. It was also decided that the Provincial Mental Health Act 2001 should be reviewed further for legislation.

Additionally, Chief Secretary Mubashar Raza and secretary health provided assurances on behalf of the Punjab government that all-out cooperation would be extended so that psycho-trauma centres could be established in the province.

Head of academic department of psychiatry and director, Psychotrauma centre, Prof Aftab shared the immediate plans.He said, The team of mental health professionals comprising of psychiatrists and psychologists will impart training to the officials of police, Rescue-1122, teachers, doctors, nurses and would also prepare training modules for media persons so that awareness could be created among masses on this important issue. Government representatives included chief secretary, Syed Mubassar Raza.

Prof Aftab Asif shared the first workshop details which was on Psychological First Aid.Prof. Aftab urged that national media should also adopt responsible strategy for the coverage of terrorism incidents to save the children and elders from the psychological trauma. He said the Provincial Psycho-Trauma Centre would also prepare training modules for media persons.

The meeting was informed that another two such centres would be established in Multan and Rawalpindi and the services of psychiatrists of medical colleges and other educational institutions would be acquired. http://www.dawn.com/news/1157527

Steering committee planned to meet fortnightly. The higher education secretary, the school education secretary, the additional home secretary, the Rescue 1122 director general, the social welfare director general, the health services (technical) additional secretary, the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) director general, Associate Prof Dr Ali Mehdi Hashmi, Postgraduate Medical Institute Psychiatry Department head Prof Altaf Qadir, Assistant Professor,KEMU, Dr Usman Amin Hotiana and experts from Allama Iqbal Medical College attended the meeting.

At last, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has accorded approval to constitute Punjab Mental Health Authority in pursuance of the Mental Health Act, 2014, sources said.

The authority shall consist of 10 members from across the province. Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique would be the chairperson of the authority, which would start functioning very soon.

Other members of the authority are the SHC&ME secretary, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department secretary, chief consultant psychiatrist, Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH), Prof Dr Saad Bashir Malik, Prof Aftab Asif, Prof Fareed Aslam Minhas, Dr Rafia Hassan, Dr Rukhsana Kausar and PIMH executive director Lahore.

According to sources, SHC&ME Department Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah had sent a summary to the Punjab chief minister for final approval, while official notification would be issued very soon.

After the 18th constitutional amendment, the Punjab government had amended the Mental Health Ordinance of Pakistan, 2001. A bill named Punjab Mental Health (Amendment) Act, 2014 was passed by the provincial assembly in 2014 in this regard.

According to the act, there should be a provincial mental health authority, which shall consist of a chairperson but not more than ten members, to be appointed by the government. The members of the authority should work as secretaries to the government, Health Department, chief consultant psychiatrist and the Punjab Institute of Mental Health.

The authority shall advise the government on all matters pertaining to promotion of mental health, prevention against mental disorders and establishment of new national standards for care and treatment of patients. The authority shall also recommend measures to improve existing mental health services, besides setting up child, psycho-geriatric, forensic, learning disability and community-based services, and prescribing procedures with respect to setting up and functioning of the mental health services and facilities.

Sources said that the authority would be authorised to prescribe a code of practice to be implemented for achieving the purposes and objects of the act as well as to be followed by all the mental health personnel attached with patient care under the act. They said the authority shall register psychiatrists in such a manner as may be prescribed, and regulate establishment of help lines and crisis centres for general public in this regard.

Authority may be housed inside the Punjab Institute of Mental Health for implementation of the Punjab Mental Health (Amendment) Act, 2014 in true sense and provision of all secretarial support for its day-to-day functioning, they added.

Keeping in view the needs of modern age and to define latest mental disorders, the Mental Health Act 2001 would also be amended for which a draft law had been prepared by the Psychiatry Department of the King Edward Medical University, they said, adding that there was a need to amend mental health act according to the requirements of modern age and to resolve psychological.