Hyderabad: Doctors says Counselling helps coronavirus patients fight mental agony

Hyderabad: Doctors are donning a different role in treating Covid-19 positive cases. In the treatment of other diseases, medication and drugs are major or the only focus for doctors and the medical staff, but when it comes to Covid-19 pandemic another element is being added in the treating the patient- That is psychological counselling, an important factor in the treatment. This is being done as infected patients were found to be in a depressive mood and low on mental spirits.

Fever hospital superintendent Dr K Shankar stated that many doctors were donning the role of counsellors and engaging in conversations with patients to get them out of mental unrest.

"The foreign returned patients were a very dejected lot after they were diagnosed positive. With what is happening across the world, so many cases and deaths happening and not to forget lack of drugs and vaccines, the infected ones thought that it was the end of the world for them. We used to counsel them, even youngsters and middle aged, that the fatality rate was not high and people not having any health ailments history are bound to recover and come back to normal stage in a few weeks," he said.

Also, they used to be worried whether their family members, kids and parents were also infected and had concerns about their health and well-being, Dr Shankar said.

The senior doctor said that all doctors in Covid-19 duties were counselling the infected patients apart from checking their treatment and progress. For severe cases having mental issues history, psychiatric counselling is also being given by psychiatrists working in Gandhi hospital.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old male from the city heaped praises on Gandhi doctors for the mental support they gave in recovering from the dreaded disease. He thought his life had gone for a toss after being infected and had no hopes of survival. However, within a few days after speaking to doctors, he said, his perception had changed and he started to look at things positively. He returned from the UK and tested positive in March last week and underwent treatment at Gandhi before being discharged a few days ago.