Not only patients, medical personnel too get counselling

‘Working during these testing times, while staying away from their families, has caused mental stress’

12/04/2020, P. A. NARAYANI & , SANJANA
GANESH,MADURAI

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of medical staff and patients in several different ways.

Those affected include doctors and staff nurses working at Government Rajaji Hospital, who are in the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. These medical personnel, who discharge their duties while staying away from their families, are vulnerable to mental stress.

Regular counselling sessions are being held for them and support systems have been formed to help these medical personnel stay motivated.

GRH Dean J. Sangumani says that treating patients during testing times like these, while staying away from families, has caused mental stress among medical staff.

“This is first-of-its kind pandemic, which has affected the mental health of medical personnel. All GRH staff, including drivers, are working under stressful circumstances and sometimes they even fail to recall the particular day in a week,” he says.

State president of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association K. Senthil says that medical, paramedical staff and nurses of GRH work for seven days and are quarantined for the next 14 days. “They are quarantined in separate rooms inside Madurai Medical College and at a private hotel.

Many of them often get emotional or mentally disturbed as they cannot meet their family members during this period,” he says.

“There is also some level of anxiety among medical personnel as they are worried that they might be infected and transmit the virus to the family members”, says T. Kumanan, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, GRH.

Regular counselling sessions are being held for the medical personnel to help them manage their anxiety. “Senior GRH doctors regularly speak to those working at isolation wards over the phone. We repeatedly keep telling them that doctors have to discharge their duties, as it is the only way to tackle the pandemic,” says Mr. Senthil.

Dr. Kumanan says that contact numbers of around 15 doctors from the Department of Psychiatry have been given out so that those medical personnel who require help can reach out to them.

“So far, we have received only a few calls. But, we think the number might increase in the days to come,” he says.

Patients at the isolation wards of Government Rajaji Hospital too have been undergoing counselling via telephonic conversation everyday.

M. S. Chellamuthu Trust Founder C. Ramasubramanian, whose organisation has partnered with the GRH to provide mental health support to patients, says that it is pertinent now more than ever to provide empathetic care.

Sense of anxiety

He says that a counsellor speaks to patients everyday as most people in isolation wards tend to develop a sense of anxiety.

“This is why it is important to explain in detail the nature of the disease and the road to recovery. If we make this clear, they will gain more confidence,” he says.

Referring to the suicide of a 60-year-old man at the Ariyalur Government Hospital, he says that people who are separated from their families may feel hopelessness, worthlessness and fear of isolation.

“In case the fear is acute, they will be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist at the hospital itself,” he says.

The Dean said that the hospital’s psychiatry department regularly engages with patients through telephonic conversation.

Apart from this, he adds that the Administrative Judge of the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai Justice P.N. Prakash conducted a few counselling sessions to keep doctors motivated.

“I regularly tell my staff that by working as a team, we can successfully combat the pandemic,” GRH Dean says.