Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced the launch of the government’s first mental health app, Humraz, and Helpline. In a tweet marking today’s World Health Day, he said that the welfare of citizens and especially mental health is important for the betterment of our society, is critical to the betterment of our society he emphasized.
The application will allow citizens to access authorities in the event of suicidal ideation or a mental health emergency. Users can also make appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists to share their problems and make appointments privately.
“The aim of the initiative is to provide consultation services and to help improve the health and quality of life of people suffering from deteriorating mental health,” Salman Sufi, who is head of the prime minister’s strategic reforms, had said earlier in February.
Civil servants who feel overwhelmed can talk confidentially about the pressures they face and seek help, Sufi said. He added that WHO and Ministry of Health are jointly developing it under PM Strategic Reforms Unit.
“There are not enough psychologists and psychiatrists to help people with mental health problems and those at risk,” he said. “But we are deploying as many people as we have access to and we plan to add more at a later stage,” he said, adding that Pakistan was too late to initiate such a move.
“This is why the Prime Minister has asked us to take it up immediately. We are also working on introducing a proper licensing and certification system for psychologists and psychiatrists. This application will help us on unconfirmed reports. It will help to get more accurate data rather than relying on it.
Sufi said it’s important to normalize the conversation about mental health and stop the stigma. “And this app will pave the way for recognition of mental health as a major public health concern as the government helps citizens with various mental health issues,” he said.
