Fatal healthcare

The consequences of a worsening economy and a gradually deteriorating country are not merely fiscal. When in conversation about how Pakistan's state has affected Pakistanis, people often wander around the topic of how difficult it is to put food on the table and pay for children's education. But these struggles have equally significant consequences on a person's mental health - which are currently reflected in the recent rising suicide rates in Faisalabad.

Within just seven months of 2026, as many as 28 lives have been lost to suicide in Faisalabad. These people left behind families, many of whom relied on them for bread and butter, with a lifetime of sizeable grief. Patterns and observations highlight some of the most obvious factors driving this tragic trend: unemployment, domestic discord and family disputes. On one hand, the weight of financial struggles clearly pushes people to the brink. On the other hand, Pakistan lacks all facets of a supportive mental health infrastructure: an understanding society, accessible mental health checkups, subsidised treatments. None of this is available to the common man. The result is, unsurprisingly, a disturbing statistic.

The most absurd part of all of this is that the weapon of choice for many people who chose to end their lives - pesticide tablets - are far easier to acquire than it is to set up an appointment with a mental health specialist. Despite a ban imposed by the Faisalabad commissioner, these poisonous substances remain readily available at retail outlets.

Twenty-eight preventable deaths for a single city is not a number that should be treated lightly. It's understandable that comprehensive national reforms take time, but the government can still make immediate progress by prioritising mental health infrastructure as a vital component of the country's healthcare system.