The Hindu : Karnataka News : Volunteers being trained by NIMHANS counsellors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Volunteers being trained by NIMHANS counsellors

BANGALORE, JAN. 6. To help tsunami victims combat the severe trauma, 26,000 volunteers in the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Tamil Nadu are being trained by counsellors from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) here.

Since the devastation in the Andamans, where 30 of the 38 islands have been affected, is immense, it is not possible to provide psychiatric help with a handful of volunteers, the Director and Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS, D. Nagaraja, told PTI.

It is not just the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which shows up in the victims much later, but psychological problems such as acute shock and depression which need immediate attention, he said.

Three teams have already been despatched to Port Blair and have started identifying representatives of various voluntary agencies who can be trained, he said.

The picturesque islands, which once attracted tourists in droves, stand battered by the gigantic waves, with the official toll nearing 10,000 with more than 6,000 still missing.

Two more teams comprising psychiatrists are leaving for Nagapattinam, Mr. Nagaraja said.

NIMHANS was the first institution to provide psychiatric help and direct care during disasters such as the Bhopal gas Leak in 1984-85, the cyclone in Orissa, the Latur earthquake, and the quake in the Kutch region of Gujarat, Mr. Nagaraja said. PTI

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