HEC, United Nations Development Programme, Australian High Commission and Sehat Kahani inaugurates their fifth Wellness Centre in University of Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Sehat Kahani, with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HEC and the Australian High Commission in Pakistan (AHC), inaugurated its fifth Wellness Centre at the University of Malakand under its Mental Health Initiative to extend holistic mental health counselling and support services to the students.

This Wellness Centre is constructed with a dynamic approach to address the mental health issues and wellbeing of the students. Under this initiative, the students are not only provided with a Wellness Centre consisting of an in-person counselling vicinity and a recreational centre but the faculty is also trained by Mental Health Experts of Sehat Kahani to provide first aid mental health counselling. Furthermore, to ensure that mental health support is always available to the students, Sehat Kahani has provided all of the university students with free access to Sehat Kahani’s E-Health Application where national and international Mental Health Experts can be consulted with complete privacy and confidentiality anytime. 

The inauguration of the Wellness Centre was graced by Professor Dr Gul Zaman, Vice-Chancellor, University of Malakand; Dr Sara Saeed Khurram, CEO and Cofounder, Sehat Kahani; and Youth Employment and Private Sector Development Specialist, UNDP Mr Akbar Durrani. 

During the inauguration ceremony at the University of Malakand, Vice-Chancellor Dr Gul Zaman participated in an in-app video consultation with Sehat Kahani’s psychologist on the E-Health Application placed in Wellness Centre. He appreciated the initiative and its importance by saying, “As an internationally renowned university which provides students with an exceptional education and facilities, University of Malakand sees a lot of potential in this initiative of an in-house Wellness Centre blended with online counselling services to ensure that students can seek help with trust and anonymity for their mental health concerns. We look forward to making a positive impact on the academic and personal lives of students with the inauguration of this Wellness Centre at the University of Malakand. The Institute expresses its gratitude to Sehat Kahani, HEC and UNDP and AHC for their assistance in this regard.” 

In his address to the present faculty members and students of the University of Malakand, Mr. Akbar Durrani said, “Awareness of mental health and wellbeing is integral for not only people going through difficult times but also for widespread community members to extend empathetic support to their friends and family in times of need. On behalf of UNDP, I would like to thank Vice Chancellor and entire faculty of the university for actively participating in this initiative; and to Sehat Kahani for integrating such an important aspect of wellbeing in the university through a comprehensive platform for the students.”

Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram, strongly believes in combating the stigmas attached to seeking help for mental well-being. She said, “Sehat Kahani, through this partnership with UNDP, HEC and KP Universities, aims to reach out to each and every student in the University of Malakand who requires mental health counselling and wellbeing support. We want to ensure that professional help is available and accessible through creative and sustainable platforms.”