MoU signed on mental health

PESHAWAR: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Faculty of Public Health Khyber Medical University (KMU), Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Prime Institute and Keele University, UK, for clinical trial on mental health.

KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Arshad Javaid, Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Gandapur, Dean Public Health Prof Dr Ziaul Haq, LRH Medical Director Dr Mukhtar and others were present on the occasion.

The project was successfully launched to kick-start the activities to achieve the milestone within predefined timeline. KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Arshad Javaid appreciated the efforts made by Prof Dr Saeed Farooq from Keele University, UK and Prof Dr Ziaul Haq from Public Health KMU for developing the idea of Supervised Treatment in Out-Patients for Schizophrenia (STOPS+).

He said that the idea was based on mental health patients who usually had multiple needs that required long-term care, supervision of medication and follow-up for treatment. It is worth mentioning that STOPS+ is an initiative that involves support from the family, the care givers in providing facilitation to the mentally unstable patient, keeping a record of the patient’s medication and supervising the patient’s general life activities.

The STOPS+ project has been reviewed, accepted and funded by the Medical Research Council United Kingdom with a handsome amount of money. Prof Dr Ziaul Haq briefed that STOPS + is a community based clinical trial to see its feasibility and effectiveness in the treatment, adherence and reduction in the treatment gap in the chronic mental health disease of schizophrenia.