KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday performed the groundbreaking of a first-of-its-kind neuropsychiatric hospital being established by a US-based non-governmental organisation, Children of Adam (CoA), at Gadap.

The facility will provide mental health services to patients of all ages, including adolescent psychiatry and drug and alcohol abuse.

Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said that it was a good omen that philanthropists are coming over to provide the best health services to the ailing people particularly the poor and helpless.

“The Children of Adam established a neuropsychiatric hospital in Karachi with the aim to provide good health services to the people of the province and the country,” he added.

The chief minister said that there was a lack of trained psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors to meet the growing demand of the city.

He said that the state of mental health awareness and its services in the country remained a big issue.

“As per statistics, in Pakistan, over 15 million people are suffering from some form of mental illness. However, only a small percentage of people suffering from mental health conditions are able to seek the proper help they need,” he said.

He said that the Sindh Mental Health Act 2013 was introduced and accordingly the Sindh Mental Health Authority (SMHA) was established in 2017.

“The authority has the mandate to deal with all matters relating to the promotion of mental health, setting standards and prevention of mental disorders,” he added.

He added that the Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Institute of Psychiatry (SCJIP) Hyderabad was being upgraded as a university.

Earlier, Shahzad Sadan of the CoA said that the objective of the facility was to provide services for bipolar disorders, autistic disorders/MR/pervasive developmental disorders, schizophrenic disorders, anxiety, depression, electroconvulsive therapy and rehabilitation services.

He said that CoA intended to establish one of the best mental health research hospitals of the country in Karachi at a cost of Rs4 billion. “Within the hospital, a centre would be established to focus on personalised medicine, brain stimulation, and paediatric and geriatric mental health,” he said, adding: “The Centre would provide intervention in brain stimulation treatment using magnetic seizure therapy (MST), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (RTMS), providing hope for people with treatment-resistant depression.”

The CM was informed that the CoA was establishing a comprehensive 150-bed inpatient and outpatient hospital to provide the best possible care to its patients.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023