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As part of the continued
efforts to assist and rehabilitate earthquake victims, Aga Khan University (AKU)
held a seminar titled “Sharing of experiences of psychiatric aspects of
trauma in earth quake survivors”. The seminar was organised by the Mental
Health Research and Development Forum (MHRDF) at AKU on Wednesday January 25,
2006 and shared information and observations of AKU’s expert psychiatrists
on the psychological trauma of the victims.
The seminar provided a forum
for discussion for the psychiatrists’ teams from AKU which had worked
in the affected areas to share experiences in order to plan for the future efforts.
Speakers reported a major incidence of psychosomatic illnesses in earthquake
affected areas and stressed the need for relevant training for health professionals.
Emphasising the need for
early psychiatric help for the victims of earthquake, leading psychiatrist Dr
S. Haroon Ahmed commented, “The earthquake victims appeared calm, brave
and sturdy as the stress is diverted to the more immediate needs in the rescue
and relief stage.”
“Later when the focus
shifts to rehabilitation, they are going to suffer in silence and start expressing
somatic symptoms,” he added, stressing that the time to address the psychological
trauma is as important as surgical intervention in a broken bone, to save the
patient from disability.
Programme Coordinator Community
Mental Health Programme Ms Laila Khalfan informed the audience that patients
attending the clinics had a common pattern of psychosomatic complains such as
body pains, headache, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, depression, aggressive
behaviour and flashbacks.
Elaborating upon the efforts
of the Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan (AKHS, P), Ms Khalfan gave details
of their five level strategy to address the emergency needs. The first step
in the effort was to provide immediate rescue work followed by the establishment
of centres in the affected areas and program model, training and capacity building
of health care workers with regular monitoring and follow-up, she said.
She also said that AKHS,
P plans to develop comprehensive training program on mental illnesses for general
physicians to initiate early identification and regular follow up on cases.
Associate Professor at Community
Health Services, AKU, Ms Kausar S. Khan informed the audience about the rapid
assessment undertaken in December 2005, to understand the needs of women earthquake
survivors in the camps. She said that the assessment focused on five issues:
general needs of women,
reproductive health needs, their fears, their coping mechanisms and barriers
to accessing resources.
Dr Riffat Moazam-Zaman and
Dr Rubina Kidwai briefed the audience regarding the training of five different
groups of volunteers in Peshawar and Muzaffarabad. Professor and Chairman of
AKU’s Department of Psychiatry, Dr Murad Moosa Khan and Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry Dr Naim Siddiqui also presented the findings of their
study of the psychological impact of earthquake tragedy to the audience.
AKU has sent nearly a hundred
medical professionals for the rescue and relief operations and has also donated
Rs 5 million towards medicines and organizing the relief effort. AKU employees,
students and medical residents have raised over Rs. 4.8 million and have donated
medicines, warm clothes and blankets. These efforts are a part of the overall
Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) humanitarian and financial relief assistance
through its various affiliates and agencies, which includes the pledge of USD
50 Million, committed at the Donor Conference in Islamabad in November 2005.
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