Coronavirus in Mumbai: Hospitals to rope in counsellors to counsel COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus in Mumbai: Hospitals to rope in counsellors to counsel COVID-19 patients

A senior doctor said there is no structure to provide mental health services to patients in hospitals. "Mental health is still at the bottom of the heap as far as Covid is concerned. However, it is much needed," said the doctor.

Swapnil MishraUpdated: Monday, June 01, 2020, 07:55 AM IST
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COVID-19 patients need counselling | Pxfuel.com

It is not just medicines and doctors that COVID-19 patients need, counselling patients too is important to reduce the anxiety levels and reduce the mental trauma faced by these patients. Hospitals both civic-run as well as private are planning to rope in counsellors to counsel the patients who have tested positive for the deadly virus.

Many patients fear that once they leave hospital their condition will worsen and there are many who think that if they go home they would end up infecting their own family members and hence do not want to leave the hospital. COVID patients are scared and thus hospitals are of the opinion that counselling will help them get rid of their unsubscribed fear.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC said there is a stigma amongst the COVID patients due to which they do not wish to leave the hospital. They are also planning to rope in cured COVID patients to change their mindset.

“Mumbai has 80 percent of asymptomatic COVID patients, but still there is a fear that it will be fatal and one will definitely spread it to their family members despite taking precautions. Following which we decided to rope in cured patients to change the mindset of others,'' said Kakani.

Some hospitals such as Hinduja in Mahim have roped in their psychiatrists and counsellors to reduce anxiety levels among patients. The treatment involved to contain the virus is full of uncertainty and needs to be followed with social/physical distancing, cut off from the family, and mandatory isolation which increases the risk of anxiety amongst patients. Our team of doctors provides mental and emotional support to them at every step during the treatment.

“If needed, our psychiatrists also come on board to talk to the patients through our teleconsulting services. We follow the counseling procedure which is conducted by psychologists within the first 24 hours the patient is admitted and repeat it every 3 days till the patient is discharged. Similarly, our frontline warriors are also susceptible to these testing times, so we have also equipped our staff with the tele-consulting facility for their emotional well-being,” said Joy Chakraborty, COO, P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC.

A senior doctor said there is no structure to provide mental health services to patients in hospitals. "Mental health is still at the bottom of the heap as far as Covid is concerned. However, it is much needed," said the doctor.

Prakriti Poddar, expert in Mental Health, Managing Trustee of the Poddar Foundation said there is an increase in stress, depression and psychological issues after the lockdown. This lockdown has also become a financial lockdown as both salaried individuals and businessmen are suffering losses. Moreover, there will be a rise in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) cases as a lot of people have lost jobs and to get back again on their feet will require a lot of efforts.

“We have set up a helpline number 1800-121-0989 on which we are getting a lot of calls from people suffering from anxiety and are claiming to feel completely hopeless and helpless in this situation. Also we are getting calls from people who are nervous about issues in their relationships,” she said.

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