The Director General of the National Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Hamad Al-Ghafri, announced the creation of a virtual clinic to treat psychological symptoms resulting from the spread of the Corona virus, which provides free psychological consultations to individuals over the phone, and cases are dealt with completely confidentially through psychological and social specialists, in addition to conducting tests For cases that require visiting the psychological clinic inside the center.

Al-Ghafri revealed to «Emirates Today», the increase in the percentage of addiction patients, who came voluntarily to the center to receive addiction treatment for the first time, during the first quarter of this year, compared to the numbers of frequent patients in the same period last year, which prompted the center to return Programming medical services and increasing absorptive capacity in some practical specialties, and studying the reasons for this increase in the future.

In detail, Al-Ghafri said that the spread of the Corona virus around the world caused psychological symptoms such as tension, anxiety, obsessive frustration, mood disorders, nervousness and lack of control over actions, as some recent studies have shown that 2 to 5% of individuals in some countries suffer from frustration. And anxiety, and they have suicidal ideas, and statistics revealed that many of the countries where the spread of the Corona virus, increased psychological symptoms, and found that 35% of the population in China, for example, have increased psychological pressure.

He pointed out that the center began focusing on studying psychological complications associated with the spread of the Corona virus and its psychological effects on members of society, which lead some people to adopt ideas such as misuse of drugs and narcotic drugs, and increasing dependence on electronic games, especially among children and school students in these The stage, therefore, came the idea of ​​establishing a virtual clinic to provide help and support to members of the public to bypass any psychological consequences of this pandemic.

Al-Ghafri confirmed that the center has taken a set of preventive measures to limit the spread of the new Corona virus, including reducing the absorptive capacity in some specialties, transferring many cases to the outpatient clinic, preventing families from visiting their sick relatives, and conducting medical examinations on working medical personnel, especially those who deal with them With patients directly, to make sure that they are free of the Corona virus, and to activate remote work for administrative staff while the medical cadres are still working with energy and efficiency themselves, with the application of high precautions during the reception of patients at the center, and personal protective equipment was provided for them, And maintain social spacing while dealing with patients.

He pointed out that there were amendments made to some treatment programs in the center, and prevented the gatherings that lead to the spread of diseases, the internal absorptive capacity was modified, and the role of the outpatient clinic in the center was maximized with the stage of detoxification.

He pointed out that the National Center for Rehabilitation is a leading health institution in the country, and one of the centers accredited by the World Health Organization in the field of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with addiction, and its role is complementary to the role of the competent government agencies in the same field, pointing to cooperation with relevant authorities in the same field under the umbrella of the Council Drug control emanating from the Ministry of the Interior, as it integrates the efforts of institutions working in the areas of drug control, and those that provide preventive, curative and rehabilitative programs for addiction patients.

He pointed out that all social activities and programs related to patients are stopped, and transformed into virtual activities, using technology, family visits for patients are prevented, and communication with families is activated through remote communication programs, as part of the measures to prevent the spread of the Corona virus.

He mentioned that there is cooperation between the center and the Health Department in Abu Dhabi, where some nursing cadres volunteered to reinforce efforts to follow up the fight against the Corona virus.

The age of abuse

The General Director of the National Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Hamad Al-Ghafri, stated that the center disseminates awareness of the danger of drugs among the various segments of society, through advanced preventive programs, as it provides a lot of financial resources, explaining that spending a dollar in preventive programs provides nine dollars in programs Curative. He pointed out that there is a project to train teachers and specialists on early detection of cases of abuse, through knowing the signs indicating this, and there is a great challenge in delivering educational materials to all school and university students. He cautioned that many drug promoters focus on young people, explaining that the lowest age for abuse in the Arab region is 11 years, while recent studies indicate that the age of abuse also begins at 25.

Increased cure rate

The National Rehabilitation Center has received 4,370 patients since its inception in 2002, 65% of them are voluntary patients, and 35% are referred by judicial authorities.

The director general of the center, Dr. Hamad Al-Ghafri, said that the percentage of addiction treatment increases every year, and reached 43% last year, compared to 33% in 2018, while the global success rate is 20%, and the relapse rate for patients after they underwent treatment programs over a year, 54% in 2018, and decreased to 47% during the current year, while the rate of relapse of addiction patients globally reaches 65%, pointing out that the improvement of addiction treatment indicators is due to the efficiency of treatment programs, the cooperation of the patient, the family and supporters, to reintegrate the beneficiaries into society.

Conducting tests for cases that require visiting the psychological clinic inside the center.

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