THIS is with reference to the report `Need stressedfor telepsychiatry service at rural health centres` (Aug 14). The Sindh Mental Health Authority`s recent outreach camps, supported by psychiatrists and psychologists from leading institutions, deserve appreciation.

They brought treatment and awarenessto remote, underserved desert districts, and generated critical data on the prevalence of depression, anxiety and other such conditions in communities.

However, such camps only scratch the surface of a much deeper crisis. Most rural districts, including Naushahro Feroze that has a population of over 1.7 million, lack a single psychiatrist or psychologist in the public sector. Patients must often travellongdistancesforcare,leadingto untreated cases and worsening stigma.

Telepsychiatry, integrated with rural health centres, offers a practical solution.

It can bridge the gap between specialists in urban centres and patients in remote areas, reduce costs, and provide continuity of care.

But for it to succeed, the government must also activate District Mental Health Boards,as envisagedunderthe Sindh Mental Health Act, increase budgetary allocation beyond the current 0.4 per cent of healthcare spending, and train primary care staff in basic mental health screening.

Indeed, the government`s efforts are commendable, but without structural reforms, mental healthcare will remain episodic and symbolic. That being so, Sindh surely and urgently needs a sustainable, rights-based system where every citizen regardless of geography has equal access to fair treatment, quality mental health education and rehabilitation.

Dr Abdul Qadeer Memon Naushahro Feroze