Mumbai civic body initiates counseling of coronavirus patients

There was a time when physical health was considered to be a matter of concern over anything. We used to hear people die from cancer, diabetes, heart attack, etc. Back to the current era, when every week, we get to hear cases of people dying from depression, mental health disorders, and suicide. So, the lesson we learn here is that physical and mental health is equally important. It is not just the body that matters but also the mind which helps us think, act, and take decisions accordingly.

Considering the kind of trauma that people get into when they are identified with coronavirus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started a campaign to counsel coronavirus patients at a center for the treatment of the disease and also help them look at the bright side of the life as the patients struggle with sadness and depression when they are away from their families to get treated at a center in Goregaon.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope found that many coronavirus patients have increased symptoms of mental health issues and hence, there is a dire need for counseling them and helping them recover from the deadly disease not only physically but also emotionally.

The BMC has partnered with Prafulta-Centre for Psychological Wellness, which has a team of counselors who visit the patients every day for three to four hours and counsel them. The team has also found that those older patients who talk to their relatives on the telephone have higher chances of healing than others.

Thus, if you are home-isolated or have mild symptoms of coronavirus, do not panic and feel lonely. Pick up your phone or start chatting with your friends on social networks to keep yourself engaged with worldly happenings. Note that this phase is just a temporary one and shall too pass.