Bengaluru: The Department of Health and Family Welfare conducted by 23.8 lakh tele-counseling sessions – all 15 lakh covid-19 patients and eight lakh people who were in quarantine – since the pandemic hit March 2020.
Of the total session, seven lakh was during the peak The second wave in May this year, when most patients were worried about securing a hospital bed.
In addition to Covid patients and those who are in quarantine and isolation, those whose consultants include covid patients who need care and therapy for anxiety and depression, health workers and migrant workers.
When a pandemic hit Karnataka, the state government decided to proactively contact with positive testing and those who were asked to remain in isolation or quarantine and offer psychological support.
Migrant workers are also advised when they are trapped during national locking.
Some calls are made to patients who need follow-up.
Data as on Friday (October 15) shows the number of covid positive people who advised exceeding 15 lakh.
About 8.8 lakh people in the quarantine of houses and passengers from the state and other countries were among these advisors.
During the first wave, the mental health wing advised a total of 88,522 migrant workers where 1,841 was also given treatment.
In all states, 24,445 health workers are advised.
Stress and fatigue among health workers are handled by the government’s mental health wing.
The consultants included 8,328 doctors.
While districts are not available, officials say most calls are made from Bengaluru.
“When cases in Bengaluru rise during the second wave, teams from other districts must be issued to advise patients,” said Dr.
P Rajani, Deputy Director, Department of Mental Health, Health and Family Welfare.
“We will divert calls to psychiatrists in other districts.
It works a team of more than 200 personnel.” He said that in some cases, patients needed medicines for mental health problems.
They were given recipes and further care coordinated by internal doctors and psychiatrists in their respective hospitals.
Dr.
Chetan Kumar, a psychiatrist consultant, district mental health program, Bengaluru Urban, said in the early days, international tourists who were quarantined in medical colleges in Bengaluru were beneficiaries of the program because of the uncertainty affected them.
“We educate them about what quarantine and why it is needed.
Gradually stress about Covid reduced,” Dr.
Kumar said.
In some cases, especially during the peak of the second wave, the counselor faces the patient’s wrath.
“When we called to calm them down, the patient shouted at us said they wanted a bed.
Lack of beds during the peak of the second wave that was exposed to a lot, and they used to misuse us,” said a counselor.