Free of charge and in complete confidentiality.. “SEHA” launches a “hotline” for psychological support

Abu Dhabi Health Services Company “SEHA”, the largest healthcare network in the United Arab Emirates, has entered into a partnership with the Department of Community Development and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center to cooperate to support the continuation and enhancement of psychological support through the “Estijaba” support line. Which was launched last year as part of the package of services provided in relation to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Istijaba support line, which can be reached at 800-1717, will continue to provide psychological support services over the phone by SEHA specialists. The hotline is available six days a week, free of charge, from Sunday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to receive calls and provide psychological support, including community emergencies.

SEHA aims to provide a safe, neutral and supportive environment that maintains the confidentiality of the caller. The service serves as a community resource as the service is available to address psychological concerns, mental health emergencies, and psychological crises via phone calls. The services provided range from telephone consultations to referrals to receive mental health services in the SEHA network, including outpatient psychiatric clinics or the emergency department, as well as facilitating hospitalization for psychological cases as needed.

SEHA Group CEO, Saeed Jaber Al-Kuwaiti, stressed the need to focus more on mental health, in order to maintain good health and enhance well-being in general, noting that there is an increase in global demand for mental health services. At the same time, there is a shortage of qualified workforce around the world, making access to timely care a real challenge. SEHA is always committed to facilitating access to world-class health services for all members of society.”

He said: “Psychological support is being strengthened through the “Estijaba” support line and further supported through “Seha” to provide community members with safe and accessible counseling to address their various mental health problems without the caller worrying about the cost, while ensuring complete anonymity of the caller’s identity. It employs “ SEHA has its specialists to provide hotline consultations and provide psychological support to all callers wishing to obtain support.
Al Kuwaiti added: “To fill the current gap in the availability of mental health services, we work in coordination with the Department of Community Development and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center to provide high-quality psychological support via the telephone support line. This service is not limited to providing immediate counseling in times of psychological distress, but it also serves as a means of To access the various specialized mental health services provided by SEHA’s outpatient clinics, which are also a platform for rapid crisis intervention for all people suffering in silence, you are not alone, we invite you to call to receive help.”

For her part, Executive Director of the Community Health Sector at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri, said: “Adding the mental health care service to a response line as an early proactive step during the Corona pandemic was a reflection of our commitment to integrating mental health within public health services. There is no health without mental health.” Therefore, the continuation and expansion of this service as an additional long-term service to the support line would provide the necessary assistance to any person in Abu Dhabi who suffers from psychological problems, or has questions related to his mental health, or people he cares about, such as members of his family or loved ones. His children, siblings, elders in the family, or even his colleagues and friends, counselors will be ready to listen, advise and provide guidance through this service.”

Immediate interventions via the hotline are expected to reduce emergency room wait times, reduce length of hospital stay, increase timely access to mental health services, as well as improve the overall quality of care.