The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population recently launched a pioneering initiative by establishing the first network of specialized clinics to address the problem of misuse and addiction to the Internet and electronic games.
In a statement, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry’s official spokesman, explained that the first phase of this project includes activating work in clinics within six major hospitals distributed over various geographical areas, covering Greater Cairo, the Delta region, Lower Egypt, and the governorates of Upper Egypt, with one day per week allocated to work in each clinic, specifically every “Wednesday.”
The Ministry stated in an official statement that these new clinics receive all age groups, and rely on an integrated treatment system that begins with early detection by conducting accurate examinations to evaluate patterns of excessive use of the Internet and electronic games, in addition to determining the number of safe hours for use for each age group.
This system also includes digital assessment tools, including opinion polls and specialized questionnaires aimed at measuring the level of addiction and determining the optimal treatment program for each case, in addition to implementing large-scale awareness campaigns through the National Mental Health Platform and social media with the aim of warning of the dangers of “digital addiction.”
The Egyptian Ministry of Health stressed that this step comes as part of a comprehensive plan to confront contemporary psychological challenges, in light of the increasing rates of excessive digital use, with the aim of preserving the mental health of individuals and families, and spreading community awareness of the dangers of Internet addiction and methods of prevention and treatment.
