LAHORE, Nov 16: The King Edward Medical College’s department of psychiatry has provided counselling and psychological assessment service to 225 quake victims admitted to the Mayo Hospital and found that 50 per cent of them have accepted the quake as their fate and ready to begin new life.

The remaining 50 per cent of these patients have not accepted the aftermaths of the earthquake catastrophe. Out of these 50 per cent patients, around half of the victims are suffering from hospital anxiety and depression, while the remaining from severe anxiety.

Some 10 to 15 per cent depression patients even think about extreme step of committing suicide.

This assessment of quake victims was presented by Prof Riaz Bhatti, president-elect of Pakistan Psychiatric Society and head of KEMC psychiatry department at the inaugural session of “Counselling skills training workshop for volunteers for earthquake victims” here on Wednesday.

A large number of students from different educational institutions participated in the counselling skills training workshop.

Prof Bhatti said quake victims needed counselling so that they could restart their lives with a note of hope.

He said 50 per cent victims at the Mayo Hospital, who had accepted the quake as their fate and ready to begin new life, was a very healthy sign.

It was imperative to train volunteer counsellors to treat the victims. The department would organize their training workshops for adult as well as child victims on weekly basis, he added.

He said those willing to do counselling of victims in the quake-hit areas, should register with the psychiatry department.