Karnataka - Bangalore   

Help is just a call away

Kanasu Nagathihalli

Phone service reaches out to students with problems

BANGALORE: Students with personal and emotional problems now have a helpline through which they can pour out their woes. The peer group of Christ College, Rotary, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, launched the SAHAI Helpline (No. 40129129), a voluntary service, to reach out to such students.

The helpline, which began functioning on July 31 last year, used to operate between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day. Now, its timings have been extended, and will function between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. Jacqueline, the counsellor who is in charge of the operation, said, "We have received more than 90 calls since we began the programme."

Trained

The students at the helpline have been trained by NIMHANS to provide confidential services, and to listen and empathise with aggrieved students. NIMHANS trained a group of undergraduate final-year and post-graduate students of Christ College. In serious cases, the helpline operators even refer students to professional psychiatrists.

With the examination season under way, the helpline staff could expect many more calls, especially till the end of June. It has become a relief to students and teachers alike.

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