PESHAWAR: The delay in shifting of Sarhad Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases (SHPD) from the central jail’s premises to the newly-built state-of-the-art Fountain House (FH) in Hayatabad is hampering the government’s plan to upgrade psychiatric services in the province.

“On Oct 9, SHPD management had conveyed to the secretary health that it was unable to shift the facility to the Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (Fountain House) by Oct 11 as asked by the superintendent, Central Jail Peshawar,” officials said.

The management also informed the secretary that it had no information about the letter as it was sent through a constable by hand and not by a competent authority.

The officials said that the SHPD management also informed the health secretary that shifting of the facility was impossible within 72 hours because it contained a huge quantity of government assets, and therefore, sought the health secretary’s guidance in that regard.

Officials say delay hampers plan to upgrade psychiatric services in province

The hospital, which was established in 1854, is the property of the health department.

Meanwhile, officials in the health department termed the letter as part of delaying tactics to shift the facility to FH, and have asked the government to ensure its shifting immediately. “Shifting plans had already been notified in January,” they said.

FH is the state-of-the-art institute built in Hayatabad Township to improve mental health services in the province. On its completion, the government notified a work plan in January for shifting SHPD to FH.

Meanwhile, a non-government organisation approached the Peshawar High Court to stop the progress on the work plan. The court granted the stay order. However, on August 22, the stay was vacated and the government was advised to continue the work plan for upgradation of psychiatric health services in the province.

However, the same NGO now wants to delay the shifting process and is approaching the Supreme Court for another stay order in this regard, the officials said.

According to the shifting plan, the OPD and pathology departments have so far been shifted to FH.

A ‘handing taking committee’ has already been notified by the health department to oversee the shifting process.

Officials said in addition to the NGO, some employees of the department also wanted to sabotage the plan of the hospital’s shifting to FH.

They said nowhere in the world had a mental hospital existed on the premises of a prison. “It’s only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a mental hospital still exists in prison,” they added.

According to the shifting plan, the provincial government has to notify FH as a teaching hospital, notify its chief executive to run the affairs smoothly, the officials said. “The government should notify the board of governors and allocate an operational budget for the purpose,” they added.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024