NA passes bill aimed at regulating mental health professionals

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan has with majority passed on Tuesday the bill titled ‘Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2020’ aimed at regulating psychiatric practitioners to avoid unlicensed psychiatrists and quacks from fooling people, ARY News reported.

The bill presented by PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana, suggests that a Council of Psychology should be established to register the psychiatrists.

Purpose of the bill is to extend a regularized platform to all mental health experts and license them to acknowledge and streamline the recovery from mental health matters.

The parliamentary standing committee already approved the bill in late 2020, after consultations the bill was presented today in the NA where it received majority support for passage.

PTI MNA Fatyana said the bill help improve mental healthcare services in the country.

READ: No shortage of Sinopharm vaccine, says Faisal Sultan

Separately on the healthcare front today, terming the reports about non-availability of Sinopharm vaccine baseless, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan claimed that there was no shortage of the vaccine in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Dr Faisal Sultan said that they wanted that a person is administered both doses of the same vaccine.

He maintained that those people who were administered the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine will be given the same vaccine.