The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Three-tier counselling for victims in Nagapattinam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Three-tier counselling for victims in Nagapattinam

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, JAN. 21 . A three-tier strategic plan for counselling and psychological care has been put in place in Nagapattinam, one of the districts worst affected by the December 26, 2004 tsunami.

The district administration has drawn on the experience of experts and officials to firm up the strategy, which includes providing immediate psychosocial support, identifying the most affected and training community-level volunteers to assist those in need.

At the grass roots, the trained community volunteers and primary health centre nurses would look at the needs of the victims. Trained medical personnel will step in if necessary. Again, if trauma is considerable, the victims will be referred to psychiatrists who have come from NIMHANS, Bangalore, the Institute of Mental Health, Chennai, and the CMC, Vellore.

The district administration wants the psychiatric social workers to stay for at least three months with the same community. The district administration, coordinated by the Rural Development Secretary, Shantha Sheela Nair, and the Collector, J. Radhakrishnan, will identify the communities that need support.

In their opinion, not everyone needs help — a fact confirmed by an on-the spot assessment conducted on Friday by Helene Lauffer, consultant to the September 11 Fund. She held discussions with the teams of psychiatrists, administration officials and volunteers.

Ms. Lauffer has been advising the September 11 Fund on the needs of immigrants and immigrant communities, and managing grant making. The Fund was established by The New York Community Trust and United Way of New York City following the World Trade Centre attacks to meet the needs of victims, families and communities. A second fund was created from the proceeds of a telethon, America: A Tribute to Heroes, which was broadcast on major networks.

Asked about the visit, Ms. Nair said the expert would make her final report in the next few days. The initial assessment had shown that there was no need to treat or even counsel everyone. "Experts have been telling us that some people need psychiatric help. But this should not be blown out of proportion," she said.

Drawing a parallel with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Ms. Lauffer said the depth of suffering and grief remained the same and did not hinge on whether one was educated or not. Individual grief was not dependent on the magnitude to which the community was affected. But management of grief was important especially now — at a time when people were thinking of returning home from community shelters.

"Some of the specifics that we had drawn up after 9/11 for helping people may not be applicable here. But the broad parameters are relevant and could be put to effective use here," she said from Nagapattinam.

The administration feels that the inputs of the expert will be valuable, coming at a time when it is encouraging the affected communities to return to earlier occupations.

Most organisations, including the UNICEF, have completed their surveys in all affected areas.

The UNICEF has been compiling details of medical facilities along the coast and is expected to spell out its assessment in the next few days.

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