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| Mental ailment double jeopardy in Jammu | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Sep 22: Jammu has the distinction of having Health Ministers from the region since 1996 and at present the healthcare scenario not only in the state but also in the country is manned by leaders from Jammu but none of them seems to have bothered about the mental ailments.
The Government Psychiatry Hospital here, which caters to the whole Jammu region, is acutely short-staffed with just three consultant doctors to cater to the over 200 patients who come for treatment daily.
Doctors in the hospital, which functions under the Jammu Medical College, say it is necessary to employ more people as mental disorders are on the rise in the region due to militancy-related problems in the state.
"There is a total lack of concern and sensitivity towards this (psychiatry) wing of the Medical College," a doctor in the hospital said on condition of anonymity.
"About five percent of the six million population of the region suffer from acute mental disorders while 15-20 percent from mild disorders, which can be due to many factors," a doctor said.
Apart from the average 200 patients visiting the Out Patient Department (OPD) daily, around 70 people are also admitted in the hospital at any given time.
Jammu region comprises of remote, mountainous areas that don't have psychiatrists and, therefore, people cannot get treatment in the initial stage of the mental disorders.
"They are brought in for treatment only when the illness gets acute," the doctor said.
Besides civilians, the psychiatry hospital in Jammu also treats "referral cases from the police, paramilitary and armed forces".
"The situation in Kashmir Valley is not so bad as there are about 25 doctors there," a hospital source said.
The rise in number of such patients can also be attributed to more awareness among people.
"Earlier there were reservations to come to a psychiatrist for treatment... Now there is no such hesitation and people have become sensitive to their mental health," the doctor said.
There are three psychiatrists in a private medical college in Jammu, but the number is still "insufficient" for the region, he added.
Rajinder Singh Chib, state minister for medical education, expressed concern at the situation and said: "I am unhappy with the prevailing system that I inherited. We are planning to get the shortcomings corrected and I assure it will happen soon."
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