The government financially assisted the Richmond Foundation’s mental health helpline, particularly during Covid-19, until it could set up its own services, Health Minister Chris Fearne said.

The government has been criticized for deciding to stop funding the foundation’s 1770 helpline as from November, choosing instead to set up its own services.

The foundation has said that this will create a vacuum. While Richmond Foundation’s service is well-established and well-known to people who seek it for assistance, the new government helpline will still need to gain trust.

Answering questions by the Malta Independent on Thursday, Fearne said the government had bought the Richmond foundation helpline services during the pandemic and had requested them to extend them 24/7.

This was done, until the Government itself established a similar helpline will also function 24/7.

Government funds, which were being granted to the Richmond Foundation’s 24/7 mental health helpline, will be stopped in November, Richmond CEO Stephania Dimech Sant had told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

He said that it the new helpline is going to be managed by experts and will also have the possibility of being expanded in the future.

The minister said that when a patient calls, the receiver would immediately have access to the files of that patient.

Asked whether there is a campaign currently ongoing to inform people about the number that people will need to call for assistance, he said that this would not be wise.

He said the government is giving Richmond Foundation around €2.3 million for its services.