Covid counseling: About 50K distressed calls received on govt helpline numbers

KOLKATA: With the rise in the COVID-19 cases in the state in the past two months, the state government has received about 50,000 distressed calls on their helpline numbers from Covid patients, who needed psychological counseling after having tested positive and staying under home quarantine.

Senior doctors are of the opinion that they had receivedcalls from various people, who had been infected with COVID-19. In some cases, family members were also suffering from Covid and needed hospitalization.

The callers often narrated their ordeal about how they arranged for oxygen when there was dearth of supply and how they were affected by the virus while travelling from oneplace to another to make necessary arrangements for their near and dear ones. A senior doctor, who had received around 1,000 calls per day,said: "We counsel patients and ask them if they need any medical support from their team. If they need any medical support, then we arrange for them. Often we receive patients' requests for a safe home as his or her house is small. We arrange the same for them."

According to senior psychologists, once RT-PCR tests confirm that a patient is positive, he or she often suffers from anxiety. They fear death.  Anxiety may lead to depression and ultimately people call the helpline numbers to seek advice as to how they can stay happy in these trying times. Dr Yogiraj Ray, a senior virologist associated withBeleghata ID Hospital, said: "Our counselors often tell the distress callers toinculcate a passion, which has not been harnessed over the years. This will generate positive energy and they can overcome depression due to COVID-19."

Senior state government officials, however, are of theopinion that the patients with moderate to mild symptoms of COVID-19 suffer mostly from post COVID-19 depression. The counseling sessions have given necessarysupport to many people, they said.