Experts at a national medical forum have revealed that more than 60 percent of doctors and surgeons in Pakistan are suffering from constant physical and mental exhaustion.
During a Life in a Metro symposium organized by a pharmaceutical company at a local hotel in Karachi, cardiologists and mental health experts said that in major cities, especially Karachi, long working hours, continuous mental stress, air pollution, traffic, and an excessive patient load are pushing doctors toward heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, depression, and anxiety.
According to experts, more than 60 percent of doctors are experiencing severe physical and mental fatigue, while over 80 percent have developed chronic tiredness and unhealthy lifestyles.
They warned that the culture of self diagnosis, self medication, and continuing duties despite illness is leading doctors toward early heart attacks, diabetes, depression, and suicide. The rate of heart attacks, diabetes, depression, and suicide among doctors has become nearly twice as high as that of the general population.
Experts cautioned that if immediate steps are not taken to provide mental health facilities, improve working hours, and implement institutional reforms, Pakistan may lose its doctors prematurely, which will have serious consequences for patients and the national healthcare system.
