Pak plans counselling for traumatised children

Peshawar, December 21

Pakistan authorities have planned counselling sessions on post traumatic stress management for hundreds of children who survived the school massacre here that killed 148 people, mostly students, a report said today.

According to an official statement, therapy sessions will be held with students, their families and teachers, to help them recover from the shock of the bloodbath perpetrated by the Taliban.

The ministry has set up a committee comprising members from mental health and non-communicable disease coordination cell of the health ministry, Army Medical Crops, psychiatrists from Islamabad and Peshawar, WHO collaborating centre and UNICEF.

The counselling facility will also be offered to students of other schools of the country in the second phase.

Another objective of the committee is to develop strategy to mitigate effects of the incident through media, it said. The plan would be finalised by the ministry by tomorrow in consultation with WHO and others.

“The army team which has been carrying out rehabilitation activities in Army Public School, Peshawar, contacted the NHS ministry and sought counselling facility for the traumatised children and families,” Assad Hafeez, the executive director, Health Services Academy said. — PTI