Seek help on mental health from experts as Greater Noida starts teleconsultation service

GREATER NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority on Monday said that it has started teleconsultation services through which people can seek help from experts on mental health issues amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic

GREATER NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority on Monday said that it has started teleconsultation services through which people can seek help from experts on mental health issues amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

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According to authority officials, the initiative is helping the people who have recovered from Covid but are scared of having black fungus now; or those who have lost a family member and are unable to come to terms with stress or dealing with financial crisis, among other issues.

The authority has designated one expert daily from 4pm to 5pm on all days of the week, the officials said, adding that people can call at 7982121411 to talk to an expert. There are three experts on the panel that includes Dr Vikas Kumar Sharma, Dr Pragya Sharma and Dr Neerja Agarwal, the officials said.

“We want to assist people through these sessions as many need counselling to handle the challenges thrown by the pandemic. These sessions will continue until the situation gets normal,” said Narendra Bhooshan, chief executive officer, Greater Noida authority.

According to the experts, they are attending to around 20 calls daily. “We are attending to a variety of calls. Most of the callers are recovered Covid patients who now fear that they can be victim of black fungus. Besides, there are callers who were attending to a patient in family, or those facing financial crisis. We are counselling them as to how they should handle or react to this situation with positive attitude and keep their mental being healthy,” said Dr Vikas Kumar Sharma.