{"id":37,"date":"2025-07-20T08:19:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T08:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthywrites.com\/hospitals\/?p=37"},"modified":"2026-06-07T09:12:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T09:12:55","slug":"punjab-institute-of-mental-health-pimh-lahore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthywrites.com\/hospitals\/punjab-institute-of-mental-health-pimh-lahore\/","title":{"rendered":"Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH), Lahore"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Historical Background<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Origins:<\/strong> Founded in 1900 as the Lahore Mental Hospital (formerly Lunatic Asylum), built on 172 acres donated by a Hindu philanthropist during Maharaja Ranjit Singh\u2019s era.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evolution:<\/strong> Expanded under British rule. Renamed Government Mental Hospital, then Government Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases (1996), and finally Punjab Institute of Mental Health (2002).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Affiliation:<\/strong> Teaching hospital for Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), since 2003.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Campus &amp; Capacity<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Size:<\/strong> Covers approximately 50 acres with green lawns, trees, a zoo, and patient recreational facilities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beds:<\/strong> 1,510 beds available; typically accommodates 1,100\u20131,300 in-patients.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Daily OPD:<\/strong> Receives around 700\u2013800 outpatients per day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Services &amp; Facilities<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clinical Services:<\/strong> Treats schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, substance abuse, and geriatric mental health through OPD, IPD, emergency, ECT, occupational therapy, and psychology services.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rehabilitation:<\/strong> Offers psychosocial and vocational rehab programs with proven patient improvement (p &lt; 0.05).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Library:<\/strong> Two libraries with 368 books, newspapers, and group therapy sessions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Digital Systems:<\/strong> HMIS by PITB (2014\u201315) handles OPD, emergency, labs, pharmacy, and CCTV surveillance. As of recent years, it continues to log tens of thousands of OPD visits and emergency visits annually.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Challenges<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Staff Shortage:<\/strong> Over 50% of sanctioned posts for medical and paramedical staff remain vacant.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overcapacity:<\/strong> Over 1,000 patients per day create financial and infrastructure burdens.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mismanagement:<\/strong> Reports cite corruption, food\/drug theft, outdated psychiatric care, and mistreatment of patients.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alarming Claims:<\/strong> Bribes for admissions, drug shortages, obsolete therapies, and physical abuse of patients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Development &amp; Future Strategy<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Government Plans (2023\u201324):<\/strong> Bed increase in addiction unit, physiotherapy services, staff recruitment, and building repairs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proposed Additions:<\/strong> 100-bed child psychiatry unit, psychiatric ICU, diagnostic upgrades (EEG, CT, MRI), new emergency\/OPD wings, male nursing school.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Community Role &amp; Social Impact<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free Services:<\/strong> Includes food, stay, medicine, therapy, and testing for the underprivileged.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Family Education:<\/strong> Workshops on medication adherence and mental health awareness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-Term Care:<\/strong> Abandoned patients receive life-long shelter and vocational engagement, with some buried on-site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Academic &amp; Collaborative Engagement<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Teaching:<\/strong> Clinical psychologist and MBBS training through SIMS, and psychology MoU with LCWU (2022).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Research:<\/strong> Studies highlight successful rehabilitation outcomes and inform treatment improvements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Summary &amp; Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) is South Asia\u2019s largest public psychiatric hospital. Its legacy, wide-ranging services, academic role,<br \/>\nand therapeutic advancements position it as a vital mental health institution. Yet, critical issues such as understaffing, overcrowding, and mismanagement<br \/>\ncontinue to hinder its full potential. With targeted reforms and sustained investment, PIMH can evolve into a model institution for mental health care<br \/>\nin the region. For broader context within Pakistan&#8217;s healthcare network, similar facilities include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthywrites.com\/hospitals\/services-hospital-lahore\/\">Services Hospital Lahore<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthywrites.com\/hospitals\/punjab-institute-of-neurosciences-pins-lahore\/\">Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS) in Lahore<\/a>, while national options like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthywrites.com\/hospitals\/pakistan-institute-of-medical-sciences-pims-islamabad\/\">PIMS in Islamabad<\/a> illustrate the broader teaching-hospital landscape.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs about Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH), Lahore<\/h2>\n<h3>What is PIMH?<\/h3>\n<p>PIMH is the largest psychiatric facility in South Asia, a government\u2011run mental health hospital on Jail Road, Lahore, with a capacity of around 1,510 beds spread across 50 acres.<\/p>\n<h3>Where is PIMH located?<\/h3>\n<p>It is located in Shadman\u2011II on Jail Road, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the OPD and admission numbers?<\/h3>\n<p>PIMH treats roughly 700\u2013800 outpatients daily and admits 6,000\u20137,000 inpatients per year :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}.<\/p>\n<h3>Which mental health services are offered?<\/h3>\n<p>PIMH offers a range of services: adult and child psychiatry, drug rehabilitation units (separate male\/female), autism centre, psychotherapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), inpatient and outpatient care :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.<\/p>\n<h3>Does PIMH have specialised departments?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes\u2014its departments include Pathology (lab tests, drug screening, Hepatitis\/HIV screening) and Clinical Psychology (CBT, REBT, individual\/family\/group therapy, assessments, rehabilitation) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.<\/p>\n<h3>Is treatment free?<\/h3>\n<p>All services including boarding, lodging, OPD, emergency, labs, and pharmacy are provided free of cost :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.<\/p>\n<h3>How can I contact or visit PIMH?<\/h3>\n<p>You can call the main line at +92\u202f(42)\u201199203776\u20117, fax at +92\u202f(42)\u201199203775, or email <code>edpimh@yahoo.com<\/code>. The institute is located at Shadman\u2011II, Jail Road, Lahore :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the eligibility\/referral procedures?<\/h3>\n<p>PIMH accepts walk\u2011ins and referrals. It also supports patients from surrounding provinces and AJ&amp;K :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}.<\/p>\n<h3>Is PIMH autonomous?<\/h3>\n<p>As of January 2023, PIMH has been granted autonomous status and is administered by a six\u2011member Board of Management under the Punjab Medical &amp; Health Institutions Act\u20022003 :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Historical Background Origins: Founded in 1900 as the Lahore Mental Hospital (formerly Lunatic Asylum), built on 172 acres donated by 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