3.60L people benefitted from govt’s counselling sessions
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED A HELPLINE NUMBER AND PERSONAL MOBILE NUMBERS OF PSYCHIATRISTS
DHANBAD: Under the Jharkhand government’s special online and on-the-spot special counselling drive at quarantine centres for bailing out jobless migrant labourers and depressed people from their mental anxiety, 3.60 lakh people have benefitted so far, officials said on Friday.
The state had earlier in May started tobacco counselling of such migrant workers and expanded its scope towards June end.
Psychiatrists of RINPAS, Ranchi, Central Institute of Psychiatric (CIS), Indian Psychiatric Society (ISS) and counsellors of District Mental Health Programme Clinic (DMHPC) have been voluntarily rendering their counselling services for rehabilitation of such people across the state.
The health department has already issued a helpline number and personal mobile telephone numbers of psychiatrists for giving online counselling sessions over phone. According to officials, those in need have been counselled through call centre services and by personal visits at 900 spots across the state.
Dr Lalit Ranjan Pathak, state nodal officer of Mental Health Programme Clinic (MHPC), said, “The health department is running online counselling through call centres and physical counselling by visiting on spot at institutional quarantine centres, home quarantined persons, isolation wards, shelter homes, old age centres and jails in state to bail out them from depression of joblessness and loneliness.”
“People generally feel loneliness, depression and anxiety in lockdown. We are happy that this drive has improved the situation and checked rising cases of suicide”, said Dr Pathak.
Besides mental counselling, state wing of tobacco control programme is simultaneously running drive of getting migrant workers rid of tobacco addiction at quarantine centres.
Dr Pathak said since a large number of people come at quarantine centre from across the state, the situation is being capitalized to get rid them from such addictions through counselling.
As per the state government’s bulletin, till date 5.25 lakh migrant labours have returned to Jharkhand during the lockdown.