Delhi govt launches tele-counselling services for frontline workers

The counselling services would be available at 9868396802 or 9868396859 from 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday.

To help them deal with anxiety and stress, the Delhi government has launched a tele-consultation and counselling service for all doctors, nurses, healthcare and frontline workers in collaboration with the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi’s only stand-alone psychiatric hospital. The Delhi Psychiatric Society, Delhi Medical Council, and Delhi Medical Association will also collaborate for the service.

Relatives and medical workers put on PPE coveralls ahead of the cremation of a person who died of the coronavirus, at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

The counselling services would be available at 9868396802 or 9868396859 from 8am to 8pm Monday through Saturday. The request can be made through a WhatsApp or text message with essential details. The resource person will direct the call to an expert, the caller can avail themselves of a telephonic conversation or video conferencing.

While registering for the service, the frontline workers will be asked for their profession, address, number of their kin and that of their employer.

Senior psychiatrists from the government and private sectors have volunteered for the service called “Samarthan” wherein counselling will be provided. Apart from the counselling provided on phone, if need be, the resource person can schedule an in-person consultation for treatment.

The treatment can be provided at IHBAS in Dilshad Garden or the psychiatry departments of the hospitals treating Covid-19 patients or linked hospitals. The frontline workers can also seek round-the-clock treatment at IHBAS hospital’s emergency department.

The programme directors include health secretary Padmini Singla, Dr NK Bohra from Delhi Psychiatric Society, president of Delhi Medical Council Dr Arun Gupta, president-elect of Delhi Medical Association Dr BB Wadhwa. The principal coordinator will be Dr Nimesh Desai, director, IHBAS.