HYDERABAD, Nov 12: Speakers expressed their anguish over the fact that only four consultant psychiatrists were working in the Sindh government hospitals. They called upon the government to give incentives to doctors for specialisation in mental health, at a seminar held on the history of Sir C.J. Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry.

The seminar was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro, Prof Noushad Shaikh who demanded setting up of psychiatric units at the Dow Medical University, Karachi and other places to meet the growing needs of mental diseases.

He urged Assistant Professor, Dow Medical University, Dr Ishaque Sarhandi to recommend to his university for setting up psychiatry institution near Super Highway, Karachi on 100 acres. He advised the families of mentally ill people to get them treated by a psychiatrist rather ignoring them.

He said that the standard of education at LUMHS had improved and no boycott took place in the last two years with the introduction of semester system. Students paid attention to curriculum and non-curriculum activities, he said.

The Medical Superintendent of Sir C.J. Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry, Akbar Memon said that only 35 per cent people were receiving health facility although government had doubled the health budget.

He said that the government did not initiate any steps for psychiatry treatment like polio and other chronic diseases.

He said that the government had allocated Rs18 per patient for treatment and Rs24 per indoor patient, while 150 patients were being looked after daily in the OPD and more than 300 admitted to the hospital as indoor patients.

He said that philanthropists of the society were bearing the expenses of the institution. He said that we were trying our best for the treatment of psychiatric patients but no one paid heed. He said that a PC-1 for the expansion and renovation of the hospital was prepared at an estimated cost of Rs106 million.

Prof Dr Syed Jamil Hussain said that the LUMHS had established a Faculty of Psychiatry at Sir C.J. Cowasjee Institute Hyderabad. The institute provided two and four years of post-graduation study and produced 16 psychiatrists (not fellowship) working at eight districts of Sindh.

He said that the majority of psychiatric patients recover after treatment but two to three per cent (chronically-ill) failed to respond to the treatment. He stressed the need for the construction of disaster and stress management unit.

He said that the institute required 100-bed emergency unit, 50-bed drug addicts unit, 50-bed epilepsy and mental retardation cases unit. He urged upon the doctors to come forward and get post-graduation in psychiatry.

Dr Ishaque Sarhandi from Lyari Hospital, Dow Medical University Karachi, Dr Darya Khan Leghari, Dr Beenish and others also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the history of the institution.

The seminar was organised by the Faculty of Psychiatry LUMHS and Sir C.J. Cowasjee Institute of Psychiatry Hyderabad.