JEDDAH, 27 April — Those who are on the point of suicide or others facing similar mental crisis will be offered an opportunity to rescue themselves, according to a scheme to be implemented shortly Kingdomwide, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported yesterday.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will open a center to counsel via telephone anyone who is facing social or psychological problems. Psychological, medical, legal, religious and social consultants available at the center will discuss and offer practical solutions to people who find themselves facing crises which they cannot manage. The telephone calls will be toll free, reported the newspaper. The 12 social workers in the center will be available on a round the clock basis to receive calls from anywhere in the Kingdom.
The new unit plans to handle at the initial stage emergency situations such as suicide, murder, mental disturbances or impulsive divorce. The officials at the reception will filter and classify all the calls and transfer the serious ones to counselors experienced in dealing with the particular problem.
To make them feel more comfortable, the officials at the unit will not ask callers to disclose their identities when seeking advice from the center, the newspaper reported.
Such emergency help centers are successfully operating in several advanced countries.
