LAHORE: Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has constituted a seven-member committee to determine the convalescent patients in the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) in Lahore.

Punjab Mental Health Authority member Dr Saad Bashir Malik will be the chairman of the committee with Dr Altaf Qadir, KEMU’s Dr Ali Madeeh Hashmi, SIMS’s Dr Samaira Qamar and Aasia Manzoor, LGH’s Dr Faiza Athar and the PIMH executive director as members.

Mr Naqvi said the committee would examine the under-treatment patients to determine their fitness and possible discharge by conducting a patient audit at the hospital.

The committee would also be authorised to recommend financial support to the families of convalesce patients and the Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Department and other law enforcement agencies would be competent to extend necessary support to the committee for the rehabilitation of patients.

Mr Naqvi emphasised the rehabilitation of the patients who had the right to return to home. He said it was not appropriate for recovered patients to remain in a hospital. The chief minister said efforts would be made to discharge convalescent patients promptly to facilitate their transition back to family life.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2023