ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Thursday asked a group of psychologists and psychiatrists to peruse the Pakistan Psychological Council Bill 2021 and come up with recommendations to improve its content and wording.

The committee held a meeting at Parliament House with Senator Hamayun Mohmand in the chair.

The bill was moved by senators Seemee Ezdi, Khalida Ateeb and Mushahid Hussain Sayed. MNA Riaz Fityana, who initially moved the bill in the National Assembly, attended the meeting as a special invitee and briefed the committee about its purpose and objectives.

Mr Fityana said the bill was tabled in the National Assembly in 2011 after which a committee was constituted in which he (Mr Fityana), Khurshid Shah and Ahsan Iqbal were members.

“It was approved by the committee and later unanimously passed by the National Assembly. Psychology and psychiatry are two professions/sectors different from one another.

“This bill is only for psychologists, the driving force behind it, to regulate this sector. The bill would help the academia in tuning its syllabus,” he said.

The chairman while showing concern over the bill asked would it not clash with allied health services.

He again said he was against the bill and wanted to regularise the section of professionals.

Psychologists and psychiatrists, who were invited to the meeting, gave their insight on the bill.

The panel of psychologists noted that the wording ‘mental health regulation’ had mistakenly become part of the para in the bill and needed to be addressed.

Senator Rubina Khalid said the bill should not be passed in haste, adding mental health has become a taboo in society. Appreciating the bill, she stressed the need to review it carefully before giving it a green signal.

Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi suggested that both the professionals (psychologists and psychiatrists) should sit together to remove the differences and lacunas in the bill.

After a detailed discussion, the chairman deferred further deliberation till the next meeting.

Due to the non-presence of the mover, the matter regarding the practice of aesthetic medicine by medical practitioners and awarding them the relevant diplomas/degrees/licences by Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC)/Islamabad Health Regulatory Authority for practising aesthetic medicines as a specialised and recognised field of medical practice and issuance of show-cause notices by PMC to 22 doctors was also deferred.

Senator Mehr Taj Roughani, Fawzia Arshad, Sana Jamali, Jam Mehtab, Asad Ali Khan Junejo, Sardar Mohammad Shafiq Tareen also attended the meeting while Senator Khalida Ateeb, Senator Seemee Ezdi participated as movers.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2022