Mental Health support included in Urgent Care Services

Hamad Medical Corporation

In a significant development, mental health services have been integrated into emergency and urgent care offerings at public health facilities in the nation.

Details about mental health support services are now part of the national awareness campaign, "Where For Your Care?", which aims to educate the public about emergency and urgent healthcare services in Qatar.

Launched by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, and Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), the campaign is set to continue until the end of February.

The newly launched website associated with the campaign provides comprehensive information on emergency and urgent care service options, including a dedicated section on mental health support.

The website is an online resource designed to assist patients in choosing the appropriate service based on their needs, with sections covering life-threatening emergencies, non-life-threatening medical emergencies, urgent care, and mental health support.

Social media platforms of the Ministry and HMC are also being utilized for awareness messages, sharing details about accessing the mental health helpline and services. The messages encourage individuals experiencing psychological distress or a mental health crisis to call the helpline (16000) immediately for emergency and urgent care.

The helpline operates from Saturday to Thursday, 8 am to 6 pm. For mental health support outside these hours, individuals are advised to visit any emergency department. To access services, the public can call 16000, choose the language (Arabic or English), and press 4 for mental health.

The helpline is staffed by a team of mental health professionals proficient in multiple languages.

Qatar has prioritized the enhancement of mental health and well-being as one of the seven main focus areas for the National Health Strategy 2018-2022. Substantial progress has been made in improving access to services, reducing stigma, and developing integrated mental health services across the healthcare system.

The National Mental Health helpline, launched in April 2020 through the Qatar Healthcare Unified Contact Centre at 16000, has proven to be impactful.

Source: The Peninsula