Need for rehabilitation centres stressed

A seminar on "Addiction Psychiatry" was organised by the Department of Psychiatry, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad in collaboration with the British Pakistani Psychiatric Association and PPS where various aspects of chemical and behavioural additions were covered.

ADHD Oxleas Trust Lead consultant ANHS Dr Khurram Sadiq, University of Haripur Consultant Psychologist & Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Rizwan and Ayub Teaching Hospital’s Head of Psychiatry Prof Aftab Alam Khan addressed the seminar.

In the seminar, the need for the development of the full-fledged specialty of Addiction Psychiatry was stressed to streamline the training and to establish Addiction Psychiatry centres/ Rehabs for curbing the mushroom growth of non-professional centres.

The highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Dr Khurram Sadiq, who is a consultant psychiatrist and motivational speaker on "Gaming, Social Media and Addictive behaviours".

Moreover, the Dean and CEO of Ayub Medical College stressed the need for more of such events in various educational facilities. Shields were distributed among the speakers by the chief guests at the end of the seminar.

The seminar was attended by a large audience including doctors, psychologists, nurses, media personnel, teachers and students from different schools and colleges of Abbottabad and surrounding areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.