NGO opens COVID counselling helpline
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 21 2020:
To help children of families infected by COVID-19 overcome stress, anxiety and other mental problems, a helpline was opened today at the office of YA-ALL at Sagolband Tera Sapam Leirak.
YA-ALL is an NGO and the helpline was opened in association with the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) .
Experts in the field of psychology, psychotherapy and psychiatry would give counselling round the clock to all the people who seek counsels.
Their helpline numbers are 6009032883, 8787375459, 7005245698 and 8787466430 .
People/children who are suffering from stress, anxiety and other mental problems on account of the COVID-19 may call any of these helpline numbers for counselling.
Speaking at the opening function of the helpline, MCPCR Chairperson Ph Manibabu said that YA-A11 would undertake an awareness drive on COVID-19 and its effects particularly among children below 15 in association with other organisations so as to relieve them of stress, anxiety, tension etc.
When both parents of a family have been shifted to COVID Care Centre after they are found COVID-19 positive, their children who stay back at their home are not taken care of by any one.
In most cases, very few people bother to enquire about even their meals, Manibabu said.
In order to relieve such children of their anxiety, stress and tension, YA-ALL would give necessary counselling through their parents or directly to them if the children are old enough to handle mobile phones, he said.
He said that the young scholars who would give counselling to children of COVID infected families have been recognised by the United Nations.
Even though the COVID-19 death toll and positive cases have been surging in the State, some people are reluctant to go for COVID-19 test because they are enveloped by a sense of fear.
To remove this sense of fear, they too would be given counselling, said the MCPCR Chairperson.