The government has established wellness and counselling desks in all Huduma Centres to address mental health problems in the public service.
The desks will be handled by professional counsellors who will offer free and confidential counselling services to public servants and members of the public.
Public Service Principal Secretary Amos N. Gathecha said the move is part of an elaborate plan to address the mental health challenges in the country.
Gathecha further said the desks will go a long way in easing access to mental health services in the country.
“The State Department is cognisant that mental health is critical for the wellbeing of any society,” he said.
The PS spoke on Monday at Huduma Centre at the General Post Office, Nairobi.
Depression is highly prevalent in Kenya and is the mental health disorder with the greatest burden.
The government recognised the severity of the status of mental health and set up a mental health task force in November 2019 led by a team of experts in the field.
Findings showed Kenya has a high burden of mental illness due to ill health, psychosocial disability and premature mortality with huge gaps in access to care.
In Kenya, it is estimated that one in every 10 people suffer from a common mental disorder. The number increases to one in every four people among patients attending routine outpatient services.
On Monday, Gathecha said the Huduma Contact Centre will offer Tele-Counselling services through the number 0206900030 from 7 am-7 pm to reach as many people as possible.
“The Huduma Kenya Service Delivery Programme (HKSDP) has extended its working hours from 8 am-5 pm to 7 am to 7 pm in 18 select Huduma Centres to enable Kenyans to access services at their convenient time,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to share their feedback on the quality of services offered at Huduma Centres countrywide.
