The pandemic affected the human race to a great extent. The novelty of the virus and its spread created fear in everyone but particularly affected the cancer patients who were undertaking treatment of cancer at different places.
ETV Bharat Sukhibhava was in conversation with Ms. Kajal Dave (Former cancer counsellor and Consulting Psychologist, Mumbai).
Many patients had apprehensions about contracting COVID as their immunity was already compromised. Under all this fear and uncertainty many were scared to go for follow-ups or went back to their own villages. Fear of the virus and incomplete treatment created a snowball impact on the minds of cancer patients and their family.
For mental health-related problems like anxiety, depression and domestic violence issues many helpline centres were started. In cancer patients & family, major mental health symptoms were related to fear of missing out on treatment, apprehension related to regular check-ups and grief-related counselling of caregiver if there was the loss of a near and dear one.
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Helpline centres were set up to help cancer patients and families to seek treatment on phone and also counselling was provided to continue the treatment, take extra care of hygiene and emotion management related to the pandemic and post-chemotherapy effects were counselled. Due to lockdown, new patients had to wait for further assessments but the doctors and counsellors helped the patients to understand how to seek treatment. During these Covid times with the help of Tele-counselling patients and families were helped how to differentiate between realistic and unrealistic fears. It took a brief span of time to set up helpline centres within each hospital and NGOs. People who could not reach out or new to Tele-consult were helped through local print media and NGOs took an active part in calling up registered patients and guiding them for treatment-related concerns. Through Tele-counselling education related to treatment effects and Covid related symptoms was reinforced.
Due to disruption in medical treatment cancer patients were concerned about the resumption of OPD services, procuring medicines as a source of money was affected, transportation was a challenge to seek help from NGOs, supportive interventions were disrupted. Among all these the emotional challenges were how to deal with fears, uncertainty issues, external stress to manage resources without money and to continue with treatment. The fear of acquiring the virus was very high in starting the lockdown but with time, gradual changes and concessions for cancer patients to resume treatments and with telephonic counselling all the challenges were taken care of to a great extent.
Currently, the idea of telephonic counselling is reaching to mass. Though people are getting tech-savvy in reaching out for help, counselling for mental health in cancer care is in its early stages. It was experienced that more calls were needed specific and not mental health. To increase the use of technology one can, create more awareness during the screening camps, train experts in Tele-counselling services and make it a complementary medium for mental health. One can say that lockdown has brought a new way of looking at the counselling process and how to reach to masses.
For more queries on Cancer care, you can contact davekajal26@gmail.com.
