Spiraling mental illnesses overpower psychiatric facility
Dr Ambareen told participants of the session that they need to support family members with mental illnesses. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE
As the populace continues to grapple with the debilitating effects of inflation, political discontent and unemployment, a mental health crisis takes the only psychiatric facility in the province by storm.
The Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH), which is one of the oldest and most prestigious psychiatric and rehabilitation facility in the country, in recent times has fallen under extreme stress given a paucity of resources and trained staff available for dealing with the rising number of mentally ill patients.
According to sources, the passing years have witnessed a 30 to 50 per cent spike in the number of people requiring psychiatric attention, leading to an overburdening of the single psychiatric facility, which now receives a daily influx of up to 1,000 patients each day.
“The Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) is the only public psychiatric hospital in the province, and it is severely lacking doctors, paramedics, and other medical paraphernalia,” said Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Monga, executive director of PIMH. He further added, “Currently, half of the total 838 positions available for doctors, nurses and paramedics, remain vacant.”
The fact that the under resourced facility is catering such a large flow of patients both in the out-patient department (OPD) and for hospitalization, is exacerbated by the revelation that many of the patients admitted into the hospital do not leave the premises even after completion of their treatment since most of them have been abandoned by their families.
According to Dr. Monga, the low discharge rate of the hospital can be attributed to the fact that almost 300 patients are unable to provide any family contacts or address information, and thereby are accommodated in the facility, until any further details about their possible next of kin can be obtained.
“I have requested the government to assist us in searching for the family members and acquaintances of the abandoned patients, so that they can return to their homes and some of the burden on our facility can be relieved,” informed Dr.Monga.
The fact that these neglected patients are overburdening the already exhausted medical resources is however, not the only dilemma, since keeping these patients in the premises of the hospital also means providing three to four meals a day to each of them, which is big blow to the budget. As Dr. Monga highlighted, “The total cost of serving breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner to each patient is Rs.300 daily, which is a lot, given our strained finances.”
While the presence of such a large number of patients does overburden the budget, Psychiatrist and Consultant at the Mental Hospital, Dr. Muhammad Waseem, highlights the dire need for these patients to be treated at the hospital instead of being sent back home.
“Patients with mental illnesses require constant care and attention, otherwise they risk harming themselves or others around. Therefore, we urge people to bring such patients immediately to the hospital, where we have a purpose built facility for dealing with them “revealed Dr. Waseem.
Indeed, the Mental Hospital acts as pseudo home for patients who occupy themselves by spending time in the in-built zoo, gym, and other recreational spaces.
Dr. Waseem concluded by emphasizing the need for more facilities to be dedicated to serving the mentally ill. “Today, so many people are struggling with family issues, finances, jobs and many other problems. As a result, now more than ever, we need to invest in building an adequate number of mental health facilities,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2023.