The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Balochistan Health Department have agreed to jointly set up a psychiatric telemedicine centre for counseling and treatment of mentally ill prisoners in Balochistan’s jails.
Parliamentary Health Secretary Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi presided over a consultative meeting that reviewed various aspects for the establishment of telemedicine centres for Balochistan prisoners.
The meeting discussed the feasibility of the project.
Initially, the pilot project will be started from Central Jail, Quetta and later, after satisfactory results, its scope will be extended to other jails in the province, Dr Buledi added.
The parliamentary secretary further said a ward of Balochistan Institute of Psychiatry would be declared as a sub-jail to keep the inmates suffering from psychiatric problems under extraordinary medical attention and regular observation.
Dr Buledi said this would be the first public health project of its kind in Pakistan to treat inmates at Telemedicine Centre. Finalisations of IT related matters were underway so that progress on the project could be initiated.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2021.
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