IPOH: A total of 4,559 individuals have been registered and provided treatment as mental patients at government health clinics in Perak during the first six months of this year, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.
State Social Welfare, Women and Family Development Committee chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin said based on the statistics by the State Health Department, a total of 5,213 cases were registered last year.
Mental disorder, apart from depression, financial problems, illness and drug abuse, were among the reasons for some 80 individuals to commit suicide in the state until July this year, she said in response to an oral question from Datuk Mohd Azhar Jamaluddin (BN-Changkat Jong).
Mohd Azhar wanted to know the number of individuals who suffered from mental disorders and depression since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented.
She said various measures were being taken by the state government to address the problem with the cooperation of various quarters, including the Social Welfare Department, Women Development Department, Health Department, Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPK) and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Some 270 volunteers have been appointed as members of the Waja Perak Squad to provide training and psychological support for the development of women and the society, she added.
She said the Perak Women development Department had also carried out several online awareness programmes such as Women Anti-Crime (WAJA), Destress Clinic and Legal Clinic to enhance public awareness on mental disorder and depression. -Bernama
