UHS proposes national mental health plan for flood affected

LAHORE: Several psychiatrists from all over the country have come together to launch a national mental health programme to provide comprehensive health care to the survivors of the flood suffering from all forms of psycho-trauma.

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) approved the Psycho-Trauma Relief Plan for Survivors of Flood 2010 (PTRPF 2010) in a meeting, held on Friday.

The plan aims at coordinating mental health initiatives for the people affected by the recent floods.

UHS plans to train the health workers, allocated on the relief camps, to provide psychosocial support to the affected and the rational use of psychotropic drugs.

It also plans to integrate psychosocial care in general health care to develop potential referral linkages between peripheral flood relief health facilities and tertiary care medical health facilities.

Highlighting the major objectives of the plan, Prof Mowadat Hussain Rana of the Centre for Trauma Research and Psychosocial Intervention, Armed Forces Institute for Mental Health, Rawalpindi, said that it aimed at ensuring availability of psychological first aid by trained manpower at all health service delivery points.

“We want to launch an awareness campaign for the community, media, and the policymakers, regarding the need for psychosocial care during all the phases of flood relief efforts”, he stated.

He said that survivors of disasters usually experience a number of emotional reactions due to various bodily changes that occur as a response to going through the disaster as well as the psychological reaction to the losses experienced by the individuals.

“If they are provided with psychosocial care, it would rekindle hope, renew trust, promote social cohesion, rebuild abilities and reduce suicidal ideation among the flood affected”, he added.

Addressing the participants, UHS vice chancellor Prof Malik Hussain Mubbashar said that the recent floods killed over 1,600 people leaving more than 4 million homeless, who are living in wretched conditions with little food and mostly contaminated water. Besides the danger of contracting waterborne diseases, they are also at risk of losing a million more livestock.

Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned that Pakistan could face food shortage next year, if the farmers missed the sowing season due to start this month.

Stressing the need of such mental health programmes, UHS VC said that if attention was not paid to the psychosocial aspects, the flood could convert into blood.

He said that the mental health problems were severer in magnitude than other health issues and by providing psychosocial intervention a bloody revolution can be averted.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2010.