THIS refers to the article ‘Century-old hospital that is frozen in time’ (May 3) which has missed some important facts that are the reasons behind the deterioration of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH).

First, land spread over 54 acres was donated by a Hindu lady more than several centuries ago for mentally ill patients, most probably under a ‘trust’. The entire area belongs to mentally ill patients.

Second, former chief justice Saqib Nisar during his tenure had ordered the health departments in Punjab and Sindh to constitute teams of experts to visit the PIMH, formerly the Lahore Mental Hospital, and Sir Cowasjee Jahangir Institute of Psychiatry (SCJIP), formerly the Giddu Hospital, in Sindh.

Dr Saad B. Malik was the PIMH convenor, while I was the convenor for SCJIP. We submitted details of the sordid affair, especially the lack of interest of the psychiatric community.

In the meantime, Justice Saqib retired and the report of Punjab was dumped. However, we in Sindh pursued the matter vigorously and got the SCJIP granted an autonomous status by the provincial assembly and the step was duly gazetted on July 15, 2020.

Currently, it is affiliated with the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, and is in time expected to be a degree-awarding institute. Constitution of the governing body is in the pipeline with the efforts of Sindh Mental Health Authority Chairman Dr Karim Khawaja.

The SCJIP is no more a mental hospital, but a planned nucleus for mental health activities in Sindh. To begin with, the Sindh government has sanctioned the increase of beds for female patients, and a separate ward has been opened for transgenders.

Finally, the biggest mental hospital in Punjab located at prime locality in Lahore has lost its identity. The vast PIMH premises got encroached upon by the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) through a notification issued on Jan 7, 2019. The administrative control was also given to the SIMS. The loss of identity is a great tragedy for the biggest mental health facility in Pakistan.

Earlier, according to reports, there were 1,100 patients admitted to a facility with the capacity to accommodate 1,510. Since the first Covid case was detected in Lahore, admissions have been stopped and nobody is allowed to meet the inpatients. Patients’ stay in the hospital is generally around two to four weeks. As such, there must be very few patients left to be taken care of by about 250 doctors. Are they now in the service of SIMS?

I strongly feel that all psychiatrists of Pakistan should consider this as a great loss to their patients. Also, a land under trust cannot be used for any other purpose other than what it was meant for. PS: The reiteration of facts is done on the basis of my article in ‘EOS’ magazine, titled ‘Encroachment of another kind’ (Feb 17, 2019).

Prof (Dr) S. Haroon Ahmed
President, Pakistan Association for Mental Health
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2021