GUWAHATI, April 9 - World Health Day with its theme �Depression: Let�s Talk� was observed at NEDFi House here on Friday. Over 170 delegates attended the event.
Dr Bornali Das, psychiatric social worker from the Department of Psychiatry, Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), and secretary of the Society for Mental Health in LAMIC (SoMHiL) started the proceedings.
Organising chairperson Prof Hemendra Ram Phookun, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry, GMCH, welcomed the delegates.
Prof Atindra Kumar Adhikari, Principal-cum-Chief Superintendent, GMCH, delivered the keynote address. It was followed by the World Health Day theme presentation by Dr Debashish Roy, Regional Team Leader (East) World Health Organisation � India (NPSP). Next was a skit on depression by Aawaz Foundation from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati.
Former Head of the Department of Psychiatry, GMCH, Prof Dipesh Bhagabati delivered a talk on �Depression: Relevance and Way Forward in Assam and North East Region of India�, followed by the narration of his suffering from depression by Biswajyoti Das.
Dr Mythili Hazarika, Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, GMCH, and president of SoMHIL, screened a video on depression in Assamese. An interactive session with the audience was another highlight.
Prof Seema Rekha Devi, Professor and Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, GMCH, presented a talk on depression from the perspective of individuals after burn injury. It was followed by Rocky Srivastava�s speech on his experience following a burn injury, and who has successfully recovered from depression.
Prof Phookun moderated a panel discussion participated in by Manisha Hazarika, Dr Srutimala Duara, PJ Baruah, Dr Debajit Nath and Neelotpal Deka, representing personalities from music, academics, literature, media, police, and law.
