SRINAGAR: Experts at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme organised by Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag on Tuesday called for strengthening psychiatric services, improving early detection of mental health conditions and expanding community-based care to address emerging challenges across age groups in Kashmir.
Organised by the Department of Psychiatry under the theme “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”, the programme brought together medical faculty, clinicians, healthcare professionals and MBBS and nursing students from across Jammu and Kashmir to discuss contemporary mental health concerns and approaches to improving patient care.
Principal GMC Anantnag, Prof. Junaid S. Wani, inaugurated the programme and congratulated the Department of Psychiatry on the initiative. He stressed the need to expand mental healthcare services, strengthen professional capacity and promote multidisciplinary collaboration to meet the evolving mental health needs of the population.
The programme was organised under the supervision of Prof. Mansoor Ahmad Dar, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, while Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat delivered the welcome address.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dar, Chief Medical Officer Anantnag Dr. Khalid Parvez and Dr. Sheikh Javid, coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society (JKPS), emphasised coordinated efforts to strengthen psychiatric services and ensure wider access to quality mental healthcare.
The scientific sessions covered a range of issues, including bipolar disorder, mental health concerns among children and adolescents, psychiatric conditions among the elderly, depression in primary care and changing patterns of substance abuse in Kashmir.
Dr. Tajamul Hussain, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at GMC Baramulla, spoke on polypharmacy in bipolar disorders, while Dr. Majid Shafi, consultant psychiatrist with the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, discussed the role of non-psychiatrists in mental healthcare.
Prof. Junaid Nabi of the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Kashmir (IMHANS-K), Srinagar, addressed emerging mental health issues among the elderly. Prof. Zaid A. Wani, also of IMHANS-K, discussed the growing burden of mental health problems among children and adolescents, with particular reference to Kashmir.
Prof. Mohammad Maqbool Dar, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at KMC Sempora, spoke on depression and the key considerations for primary care physicians, while Dr. Fazl-e-Roub, assistant professor at IMHANS-K, examined changing trends in substance abuse in Kashmir.
A panel discussion on “Local Action Plan: Priorities of Mental Healthcare at GMC Anantnag” focused on identifying institutional priorities for improving mental health services. The panel comprised Prof. Fouzia Nazir, Head of the Department of Community Medicine; Dr. Showkat Ahmad Shah, cardiologist; and Prof. Mansoor Ahmad Dar. Dr. Rehana Amin, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, moderated the discussion.
The participation of medical and nursing students was aimed at strengthening awareness and building mental healthcare capacity among future healthcare professionals.
The CME was organised in association with the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and the Jammu and Kashmir Psychiatric Society. Dr. Rehana Amin served as the organising secretary.
The programme concluded with an emphasis on early recognition of mental health conditions, timely intervention, community-based services and stronger coordination across different levels of the healthcare system.
