Abu Dhabi: A 24-hour helpline launched in November last year for Indian workers in distress received very few complaints about mental stress or personal problems, M.K. Lokesh, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told Gulf News Sunday.
"Of the 9,358 calls received so far, most of them were asking for advice or information on legal problems related to employment. And very few of them — just 21 — were referred to personal counsellors," he said.
His comments came in the wake of widespread concern expressed in the UAE and the Indian media about increasing mental stress among Indian workers, following two suicides in Dubai recently.
Radio advertisements
The Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC), the support centre established by the embassy in Dubai last November, has launched a series of campaigns to familiarise the workers with the 24-hour helpline, Lokesh said.
A radio advertisement campaign in five Indian languages will go on air in four languages today and is expected to make an impact, he said. He said the radio campaign has nothing to do with the recent suicides by Indians. "We planned the campaign three months ago and invited quotations from advertisement agencies for the same," the ambassador said.
Helpline
The advertisement in Hindi was launched on Friday. The advertisements in Malayalam, Telugu, Punjabi and Tamil will start going on air Monday.
The radio campaign will run on at least five Indian radio stations in the UAE for three months. "Then we will have a gap and then may consider continuing the campaign later," he said.
The advertisements ask Indian workers in distress to seek help from the 24-hour toll free helpline number of IWRC: 80046342.
Poster campaign
A poster campaign involving money exchanges has already begun and provides good publicity to the helpline because many workers visit these places.
The ambassador said two psychological and psychiatric counsellors are on service at the centre to give advice to those in distress.
The helpline agents can deal with the calls in all Indian languages. In addition to the toll free number, the resource centre has a walk-in counter in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to receive petitions directly from Indian workers.
The centres in Dubai are open on all days of the week from 3pm to 7pm. The centre in Abu Dhabi (at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre) will be open only on Fridays from 3pm to 7pm. Experts in the legal, financial and personal counselling fields will be available to provide advice.
In numbers
- 9,358 calls received on the helpline
- 21 calls were referred to personal counsellors
- 5 Indian languages in which radio ads will run
Information
Helpline number 800 (India) 800 46342
Fax: 043559309
SMS: 0557694747
Email Address: help@iwrc-uae.com
Address: IWRC Center, Al Jawahara, 202, Above Habib Bank AG Zurich, Bank Street, Bur Dubai
