Bahauddin Zakariya University Inaugurated Tele-Counselling Centre

In the critical and restricted situation of the country and the disruptive effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of Pakistani Nation, Prof. Mansoor Akbar Kundi, Vice-Chancellor (Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan) with the assistance of Dr. Sarwat Sultan, Chairperson (Department of Applied Psychology) founded a Tele Counseling Center and inaugurated it officially on April 14, 2020.

They said that the aim of establishing a tele-counselling centre is to provide free of cost online counselling services to the Pakistani nation who are dealing with nervousness, anxiety, fear or any other psychical problems in this critical situation created by pandemic disease COVID-19.

While inaugurating it Prof. Mansoor Akbar Kundi said that the need of tele-counseling has been increased and become necessary for individuals with compromised mental health because of the panic and fear of COVID-19 which has become a global health scare now.

Prof. Imran Sharif (Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), further added that BZU is trying to play its best role by serving the country and the nation as much as possible in this hour of need. He is very hopeful about the positive outcome of this online mode of counseling among people who are dealing with depression and fear because of the pandemic.

Dr. Sarwat Sultan agreed with Prof. Imran Sharif in the light of evidence from a clinical viewpoint and said that tele-counseling will undoubtedly be very productive in hindering pandemic stress among the people. She further appreciated the young psychologists who volunteered for this good cause and wanted to be part of it.

She further communicated that BZU’s official website has the contact numbers of volunteer psychologists along with their time slots for the ease of the community. People are advised to contact any psychologist from the list as per the availability time period starting from Monday to Thursday. She summed up at ethical grounds by saying that the visitant’s mental health problems will never be unveiled at any stage and cost.