The Center of Calls opens for Anxious Citizens and Fear of Coronavirus

The Mental Health Centre in Pristina has opened a call centre in order to help citizens find the easiest way to cope with problems at this time of pandemic. The centre, in which calls have already started, is open every working day to give recommendations, from 0800 to 1600 in the free number 0800-88881.

The incumbent Kosovo government has already announced the decision with new measures limiting the movement of citizens, where within 24 hours they have the right to come up with purchases and other services only once a day and for a period of an hour and a half.

The country is in a state of alarm in a fight against Ovid 19, and mental health experts consider the effects on mental health.

The director of the Mental Health Centre in Pristina, neuropsychiatrician Sami Rexhepi, in an interview for KosovoPress says that in this period mental health workers have received numerous calls from citizens about coping.

He says he has considered the opening of a call centre necessary, where he will accept the concerns of all citizens, not just those who receive therapy at the centre.

The Call Centre is available to citizens yesterday during the day, where there were six calls, two of which have been for therapy advice, while others for serious sleep disorders or fears.

Rexhepi suggests the calls are completely confidential and only for domestic use.

This call center runs between 8:00 and 1600 each working day, where we accept calls. We're not claiming that we're offering some psychotherapy through phone calls, but our role is to help citizens find the easiest way to deal with the problems they face, whether it's a nightmare, an emotional crisis, a sleep disorder, obsession-impulsive disorders now because of the cleaning of their hands start to be more pronounced. The call centre is available for any kind of advice concerning mental health welfare,” said Rexhepi.

Depending on the need, citizens may leave their telephone contact, and the doctor calls them back, since the ambulance psychiatrist is now almost closed operating only in emergencies.

Kosovo institutions are constantly urging citizens to take seriously the recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health, with the call “R at home”. But Rexhepi tells citizens “enjoy home”, and use this period for positive things.

The problem is to perceive, if we perceive this as a closure, as a prison sentence, it will be very difficult because each individual's anxiety rate increases, and at one point it can come to an explosion of rebellion, loss of patience. But if we look at this differently, that our responsibility is, to win this war, to stay in the house and not stay in the house as an administrative measure, but enjoy home, use this time for reflection, use this time that you've missed a lot more loved ones, we see those who have little children growing up that often that story is lost, there are many things we see in a positive way, and that will reduce anxiety”, Rexhepi explains.

Neuropsikiatri Sami Rexhepi says that once the pandemic is complete, there will be problems in the mental health sphere, which he says is perfectly normal in such situations.

After this is done, we will face problems with the mental health sphere, our goal of softening up, paralyzing them, and then the mirrors of possible disorders” have been dimer, he said.

Rexhepi says Kosovo has a fragile health system and the best way to protect it is to veto.

He suggests that after the Mental Health Centre's request in Pristina to open the call centre, Kosovo's Post has technically supported it by enabling free phones and calls numbers.