Sir: Thousands of people around the world suffer from mental illness or mental disorders and Pakistan is no exception. In the west, there are many psychologists and doctors who are trained to help and cure children with mental disabilities but, in Pakistan, doctors are not trained well and do not know how to deal with patients who have mental disorders. Doctors here are just interested in making money and getting rich — they are not bothered about people with disabilities. In Canada, there are doctors who are trained to deal with such children, there are rehabilitation clinics and many help lines for people who need help with their psychological issues. The west has progressed a lot and we should learn from its example.
People in Pakistan who suffer like this have nowhere to go. No one cares about them and no one is bothered. In our beloved country, the youth suffers a lot due to such mental disorders and they do not know what to do or where to go. They resort to suicide because they lose interest in life. This is a very sad situation and needs to change. For how long can we allow this to happen to the innocent youth of our country? Children are helpless and they have nowhere to go. I think that if we want our country to progress, we must help people with mental illnesses. We must have more psychologists and help lines for young people who are in distress. I hope that the people in our country who suffer are helped and their illnesses are cured.
DANIAL TANVIR
Islamabad