Saturday, July 18, 2020

Sangath, Goa's tele-pschciatry project- IMPACT India, has been picked by the Global Innovation Exchange as an innovation that can be used to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals

Prakash Kamat
Panaji, July 18-Sangath’s tele-pschciatry project- IMPACT India,  has been picked by the Global Innovation Exchange as an innovation that can be used by countries and health professionals to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals,said annual report of Sangath, Goa-based mental health organisation.
Sangath is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation committed to improving health across the lifespan by empowering existing community resources to provide appropriate physical, psychological and social therapies. Its primary focus areas include child development, adolescent and youth health, and mental health and chronic disease.
Pinaki R. Mitra, Executive Director, Sangath said in her report of 2018-19 dispatched this week to general body members that most nations have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic hardships, quarantine and lockdown measures have led to increased stress, anxiety, and feelings of social isolation. Sangath’s commitment to improve health across the life span continues even during COVID-19 pandemic, despite the restrictions imposed by the lockdown measures.
Through the tireless efforts of our team members, Sangath tried to address the psychological and social needs of different age groups. We are empowering communities, engaging with adolescents, youth, and adults on mental health issues, and we have supported people with counselling services through digital platforms during this pandemic.
By providing free, online audio-visual individualized counselling services through the COVID-AV platform, Sangath’s counsellors, psychiatrists, and psychologists, are reaching out to people from Jammu & Kashmir to Kerala to help them combat the mental health impact of COVID-19. COVID-AV, a joint effort by Sangath, Directorate of Health Services (Goa), Psychiatric Society of Goa, Antarman, COOJ & the Goan entrepreneur Nishadh Amonkar, enables people to cope with mental health issues through free mental health therapy.
Supported by the Medical Research Council (UK), IMPACT India has been selected as the telemedicine model that allows patients to access medical care while following social distancing during the pandemic. Sangath further strengthened its relationship with the Directorate of Health Services (Goa), by handing over the Counselling Cabin of the IMPACT India project to the health officers of Primary Health Center, Bicholim, Goa. The cabin is now being used as a COVID-19 testing room. Sangath’s Addictions Research Group has also launched the My Wellness and COVID-19 survey, to understand the Mental Health impact of COVID-19. The survey is open to adults across India and can be accessed at https://www.sangathsurveys.com/
Increasing awareness about mental health amongst youth in India, Sangath’s It’s OK to Talk team interacted with young people through social media, to address the mental health challenges during these difficult times.  It’s OK To Talk team reached youth across India through lively discussions on topics such as managing sleep difficulties, career anxiety, dealing with domestic violence & abuse, and coping with unhealthy habits during COVID-19.Sangath’s team of experts created wider awareness on COVID-19 and its mental health impact on children, parents, teachers, media professionals, and public at large, through webinars in collaboration with reputed national and international organisations, such as India Leaders for Social Sector, Piramal Swasthya, the Fulbright Commission in India, the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), Lennox India Technology Centre, Harvard University,etc.
Highlighting the increased significance of mental health during COVID-19, as well as reinforcing the urgency of a robust public health system in India, Sangath’s experts reached out to the policy makers, health professionals, health administrators, and public at large, through the medium of newspapers, and television discussions. Our experts contributed to some of the most widely-read national newspapers and online portals, such as The Hindu, The Indian Express, and the Mid Day. They also participated in discussions for national and international media channels like NDTV, TV Today, Times Now, ET Now, Republic TV, and  Al Jazeer
"As we move ahead during this challenging period, Sangath’s team continues to work for improving  health outcomes, by addressing the psychological and social needs  in the realm of Child Development, Adolescent Mental Health, Adult Mental Health, and Addictions," said Mitra.(eom)

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