SWABI: A UNDP-sponsored Wellness Centre offering online counselling services for mental health and wellbeing of the students was inaugurated at Ghulam Ishaq Khan (GIK) Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology here on Wednesday.

The GIK Institute is the first private sector university that has established the centre.

Amid frequent closure of educational institutions and start of online classes in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic the students faced difficulties, anxiety and even depression around the world.

The governments and educational institutions started introducing the measures to carry out research regarding the impact, frequency and severity of psychological and mental health issues of the students.

Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Aminullah Khan, GIK Institute acting rector, stated that establishment of the centre was an important initiative of the UNDP and Higher Education Commission being undertaken in universities and other educational institutions.

Higher level of anxiety of the students caused by Covid certainly needed the measures for solving their mental health problems created due to academic disruption and education-related mental distress.

Under the programme, a software application will be used for rendering online counselling as well as treatment services to the students.

Ms Laura Sheridan, programme manager of this project in Pakistan, highlighted the importance of such projects for the youth.

The acting rector thanked the UNDP for also selecting the GIK Institute for the project and assured support to the Sehat Kahani Wellness Centre team to continue their activities.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021