THATTA, Sept 14: Speakers at a seminar on “Awareness about neurological and psychiatric diseases among general practitioners” called for exhaustive strategies and involvement of civil society in the backdrop of growing problems caused by the disease in the society.

The seminar was organised by People’s Doctors Forum (PDF) which was addressed by Prof Shaukat Ali, head of the department of neurology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr Karim Khwaja, provincial head of PDF, Dr Iqbal, Dr Ismail Palijo and others at the Rural Health Centre Gharo, on Friday.

A large number of general practitioners affiliated with public and private sector hospitals throughout the district, besides representatives of social sectors and journalists also attended the seminar.

Underlining the causes of neurological and psychiatric disorders, the speakers said that the growing tendencies towards the non-spiritual attitude, comparative and in many cases, vigorous lust of cosmetic material world, poverty, selfishness, illiteracy and family feuds were the reasons behind it.

Prof Shaukat contended that 10-12 per cent population was having migraine problem which can be easily treated by general practitioners subject to prompt use of medicine by the patient for six months.

The symptoms included vomiting and severe headache by the patient.

So far as epilepsy was concerned, Prof Shaukat said, it was also a treatable disease and 70 per cent of the patients get rid of the illness within three years while 30 per cent of them usually take medicine for life tome. However, he said, medicines price were higher in Pakistan in comparison to neighbouring Iran and India.

He suggested subsidiary rates of such medicines. He said, one to two per cent population was suffering from epilepsy and he announced merit-wise free treatment and major concessions to the patients to be referred by the general practitioners of interior Sindh for ECG, CT scan and MRI tests at JPMC.