Governor opens Punjab Mental Health Helpline at GCU

Punjab Governor and Chancellor GCU Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Tuesday inaugurated the Punjab Mental Health Helpline which would provide online counseling to people suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental health issues across Pakistan due to Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown.

The Helpline (0304-1110063) is established by the Government College University Lahore under the auspices of its Psychology Department. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi briefed the governor about the working of the Helpline at a graceful ceremony in the GCU's Syndicate Committee Room.

Speaking on the occasion, the governor proudly said that GCU had set up Punjab's first tele-counseling center which was a milestone addition to their already existed 30 other telemedicine centers. He said that he had established first telemedicine helpline on March 19, 2020, and to-date more than 80,000 people had benefited from these telemedicine helpline.

He said merit appointments were the key to progress; he had appointed all vice chancellors on merit and now in these crucial times, universities with their competent vice chancellors were playing an effective role in fighting coronavirus outbreak. He appreciated that GCU had been at the forefront of the fight against the Coronavirus; it established a quarantine centre for 364 people and 200 bed hospital at its Kala Shah Kaku Campus besides providing 25,000 liters disinfectant and 500 liters hand sanitizers to hospitals across Punjab.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Asghar Zaidi said that coronavirus affects not just the physical health but also mental health; doctors and paramedics are playing a most significant part and now expert clinical psychologists start offering their services to counter mental health issues.