The District Mental Health Programme and the Department of Psychiatry at the Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital have come together to guide and counsel COVID-19 patients and distressed citizens whose mental health has been affected by the lockdown.
Speaking to The Hindu , District Mental Health Programme Officer P. T. Krishnamoorthy said that in the last few days, the helpline number has received several calls. “Some want to know when this lockdown will end, while others express their fears as they have cough or some existing ailments like diabetes or hypertension,” he says. The number receives about five calls a day from the district, he says. The doctors who attend the call usually guide them to their nearest Primary Healthcare Centre. “When the lockdown began, some distressed callers expressed anxiety and fear, however, now it is phobia of the condition itself,” he said. Citizens can call the DMHP helpline number – 9498859825 or the DMHP Psychiatrist on 9486814513.
At the Department of Psychiatry in the MGMGH, a team of five to six doctors take at least 30 calls a day. The calls are to patients who have been admitted at the GH, positive patients, recovered patients and those with suspected COVID-19. “We call positive patients thrice a week. Similarly, we also call patients who have been discharged as a follow-up thrice a week”, a psychiatrist who is part of the team said.
The calls address three important things – anxiety, phobia and loneliness. “A patient is anxious about whether their family members, like old parents would contract the virus from them or whether they will be stigmatised in their neighbourhood. Their sleep cycle and appetite are also affected because of it,” he said. “Some patients are worried that they will suffer a lot, and might even die from the disease,” he said. “Loneliness is inevitable. It is difficult for anybody to stay in a room on their own, not see their family members for at least a month,” he says.
The doctors also explain the importance of the 28-day period of quarantine and why a patient requires it. The work is done in coordination with the general physicians and specialists at the isolation wards. “We convey any physical distress to the doctors and they in turn let us know if any patient requires help,” the psychiatrist said. To reach the Department of Psychiatry, citizens can call 0431 – 2771465 with the extension number 714.
