Prayagraj: Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists would lend a helping hand to suspected coronavirus patients lodged at the three quarantine centres in Kareli area of Prayagraj to cope with anxiety and depressions during isolation, a Prayagraj district official said on Tuesday.
Prayagraj Chief Medical Officer Dr G.S. Bajpai said that it was as per the state government orders on April 2.
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The clinical psychologists will be present at all quarantine centres. In case of any doubt related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the people can contact the psychiatrists earmarked for the purpose at the MLN Divisional Hospital.
Dr Ishanya Raj and Dr Ajay Kumar Mishra from the Divisional Hospital have been assigned to deal with COVID-19 issues.
Dr Raj, a clinical psychologist at the hospital, said, "Those quarantined at these centres are aged between 10 months and 70. Many of them are experiencing problems like acute stress and mental exhaustion."
"There are school kids who want to know when they would be allowed to get out of the centre, so that they can go back to their routine life. Then there is a 21-year-old man who is eager to know how his mother is managing without him as he is the only earning member of his family."
She said, "We have to keep these people motivated, for which a helpline has been set up. Only 35-40 per cent of the quarantined people come to meet me. There are many who are hesitant to discuss their problems in the open. I have told them that they can call me from 9 am to 9 pm."
Dr Ajay Kumar Mishra said that misinformation about novel coronavirus was to be blamed for adding to the mental stress.
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"A few days back, a woman told me that her husband, a primary school teacher, tried to hang himself as he suspected that he had contracted corona. It later turned out it was just a case of common flu," said Dr Mishra.
He said, "I have been asking parents to be more caring, to show more love to their kids, to do away with negativity, and be more mature during these times because such trauma can have a lasting effect on kids' mental health."
(IANS report)