GUWAHATI, April 28 - Global Pandemic Response Forum (GPRF), an Assam-based NGO, has started Dhara Helpline, a mental health helpline dedicated to support corona warriors, medics, paramedics and personnel involved in maintaining law and order. The helpline number +91 92054 67567 is available 22 hours a day from 4 am to 2 am.
The corona warriors are working day and night away from their family and friends. Excessive workload, stress, fear and anxiety of the disease have taken a toll on mental health of a great number of these warriors.
To support them, Dhara Helpline was launched on April 6 in English and Assamese. Gradually, Bodo, Hindi, Marathi, Khasi and Bengali speaking counsellors were added to the helpline and efforts to add Garo, Dimasa, Nepali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada and international languages like French, Arabic, Spanish and Russian are currently on.
Dhara Helpline has an active team of over 70 psychologists from across India and 83 more are undergoing orientation and training on tele-counselling. The counsellors work from home.
Project head of Dhara Helpline Dharitri Nath said, �We decided upon a telephonic helpline, as it would be the most efficient counselling delivery tool when isolation protocol are in place. We are adding more languages every week to Dhara Helpline and will soon be open for the general public across India.�
Nath added, �We are talking to governments and organisations across the world leading the fight against COVID-19 to secure their partnership, endorsement and support for Dhara Helpline. We will continue with our efforts of public engagement to spread awareness about the helpline among the healthcare leadership in India.�
