With the pandemic looming over us at large, the state health department has formed a committee to prepare guidelines to treat the mental health issues in patients getting diagnosed with COVID-19 in Mumbai.
According to sources, the guidelines call for the training of all health workers, including the doctors and medical health professionals. Moreover, every patient receiving treatment outside the hospital should be examined to see if they are suffering from mental health issues. If such a patient is found, he should be referred to a psychiatrist immediately. In addition, specialists are to plan a separate treatment for such patients. Psychiatrists should also record each patient's mental health check-up, treatment, and other personal information; So that contact may be made during or after treatment.
In order to prevent stress with regards to mental health, psychiatrists or psychologists in the hospital should counsel patients once a week. Moreover, to diagnose psychiatric patients, training will be conducted for the doctors of the concerned hospital and other health workers. In addition, yoga training will also be made available for patients. As per reports, the funds will also be provided by the District Collector for the same.
Since mental stress is more likely to occur in senior citizens and infants, emphasis should be placed on raising awareness about mental health in this age category. If the hospital does not have a psychiatrist, it can appoint private specialists for the same.
These precautionary measures are touted to alleviate the stress caused by work among doctors, nurses and other health workers who have been serving continuously for the last several months since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
For all the updates regarding Coronavirus in Mumbai and Maharashtra, please follow our live blog here
Share
Tweet
