Care4Care: Bengaluru NGO Designs Course To Support Doctors' Mental Health

To provide the frontline resident doctors with support on emotional and mental wellbeing, a Bengaluru-based non-governmental organisation has devised a unique course. Jhatkaa.org has collaborated with the Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD) to introduce and extend the course across the country.

Protecting The Protectors

The course will aim at initiating a conversation about mental health, and offering coping mechanisms to the resident doctors who have been facing the brunt of this ongoing pandemic. This initiative is a part of the organisation's 'Care4Care' programme which had been launched to help the health warriors.

Speaking to The News Minute, Punita Maheshwari, senior campaigner at Jhatkaa.org said, "The course is presently focusing on young resident doctors since there is a lack of a safe space for them as the institutions they study and work at are not supportive. We plan to extend this course to all healthcare workers in the future. With the first batch, we are accepting 50 applicants and will begin the course as soon as 50 applicants enroll for the course."

She added that if this initiative has good results, it will be extended to all healthcare workers and ASHA workers.

The Structure And Focus Of The Course

Bhoomika Halemane, a psychologist and social worker working with CSRD, explained that the course would be conducted in smaller groups, with a maximum of five participants at a time. She mentioned that it will also be customised to suit the needs of the recipient groups and the three-part course will be covered over three weeks. A participant can have one-on-one sessions on request.

"Over the course of three weeks, the course will focus on assisting the doctors in identifying and recognising emotional triggers, how they can regulate the emotions through prescribed techniques and focus on providing preventive and remedial measures along with offering self-care frameworks. A facilitator will be conducting these sessions; they have to ensure a safe space for these doctors to speak without inhibitions," Halemane adds in the report by The News Minute.

She informed that the initiative intends to devise psychological, emotional, cognitive, or behavioural interventions and coping mechanisms to tackle anxiety, stress, depression, post-traumatic stress, and other mental health conditions. The data collection of these mechanisms will be based on the individual or group's response during the course.

Also Read- COVID Is Wreaking Havoc On The Mental Health Of Young People