Srinagar, May 11: The ‘state of excellence’ psychiatry department here, sole institution for mental healthcare in Kashmir, neither has a rehabilitation centre for treating patients nor does it have requisite manpower to treat them.
 “With increasing incidences of autism among children, dementia among aged and drug abuse among youth in the society, Kashmir faces a risk of having more families burdened with mental ailments in near future,” the doctors at Psychiatric disease hospital told Greater Kashmir.
 They said that they are compelled to refer patients to other states in absence of a rehabilitation centre.
 Sources said, the only Psychiatric hospital, in the Valley is also facing shortage of skilled manpower to treat patients. “Posts of occupational therapists and social workers have been given to untrained persons. These have been filled without keeping in view the sensitive nature of the job,” they added.
 Senior constants revealed that off late an increasing number of children were being diagnosed with the mental disorder. The average, according to the doctors, is  scary.
 “Last week I diagnosed three children with autism and I had to send all of them to child rehabilitation centre in New Delhi. It is only because they need specialized form of treatment called remedial education which is not available in Kashmir,” the senior consultant, Dr Arshad Hussain, told Greater Kashmir. 
 “Everyday a psychologist or a neurologist sees a dementia case, old age mental sickness, either at clinic or the hospital,” he said. “Dementia is a preventive disease whose progression can be retarded with rehabilitative care.”
 “Unfortunately, here we can’t prevent mild dementia from turning into an acute stage,” he said, adding, “But again such patients go untreated because we don’t have rehab facilities to treat them.”
 While there has been outcry from all corners of society about the menace of drug abuse, the healthcare facilities for such patients are insufficient.  On the name of drug de-addiction centre there is a mere 10-bed ward at Police Control Room here. “Proper rehabilitative care can treat it,’ doctors added. When contacted the minister for Medical Education, R S Chib, said that government is considering setting up a Rehabilitation Centre in the valley. “We are thinking about it,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 IST