KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry's Psychosocial Support Helpline received a total of 166, 869 calls from Jan to Sept this year, says Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.

       The Deputy Health Minister said that by comparison, 44,061 calls were made to the helpline in the same period in 2020.

       Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Sept 15), Aaron said a total of 82.2% of calls received by the ministry's psychosocial support helpline were people reaching out for emotional support and counselling.

       He added that a total of 956 cases or 0.4% of the calls it received from March 2020 to September this year dealt with suspected mental health illnesses.

       "This hotline also helps minimise mental health issues such as depression, where help will be given through counselling sessions," he told the Dewan Rakyat during Question Time on Wednesday.

       Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut) subsequently stood up, and asked Aaron about the Health Ministry's plans to ensure that the homeless will receive adequate mental health aid.

       Yeoh also said many had reached out to her, saying that when they called the Health Ministry's psychosocial helpline or Talian Kasih, ministry officers would only forward the calls to the relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and agencies.

       "When someone calls Talian Kasih, they (hotline officers) will forward the calls to the Welfare Department (JKM) and they will leave mental health issues behind because it is not their problem. How will this be addressed by the ministry," she asked.

       In response, Aaron said any calls received by the ministry's psychosocial hotline will be analysed and forwarded to the relevant NGOs according to the nature of the issue.

       "If it involves domestic violence, we will forward it to the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), if it's a mental problem, we will forward it to a hospital. As I've said, 80% of calls need counselling and our counsellors are placed at hospitals," said Aaron.