By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, July 21 – The state government looks to prioritise mental health issues this year, including by establishing the Selangor Mental Sihat (Sehat) hub to assist those facing emotional distress, said state Public Health Advisory Council member Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli.
Dr Farhan said in recent years, the state administration has implemented various initiatives to reduce mental health problems, including by fully funding medication costs.
“We understand mental health cases are increasing, so we have launched various initiatives to address them. These include subsidies for sessions with certified psychiatrists and counsellors.
“This is beyond the Social Welfare Department system. We have also prepared the Sehat Helpline to make it easier for patients to lodge complaints,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_273170" align="aligncenter" width="960"]
Selangor Public Health Advisory Council member Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli at the Selangor Saring programme in Sekinchan, on June 5, 2022. — Picture by REMY ARIFIN/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
On July 11, state executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaludin told the Selangor State Legislative Assembly that 10,459 cases of mental disorders were referred to district health clinics from 2020 to March 31 this year.
There were 1,858 cases in 2020, followed by 1,942 in 2021, 2,065 in 2022, 2,297 in 2023, and 2,297 in 2024 up to March 31.
Klang logged the highest number of patients, exceeding 500 annually, followed by Petaling with over 400 patients each year, and Sepang with over 300 patients in the same period.
