GUWAHATI, May 23 - After launching Dhara Helpline, a mental health support helpline for corona warriors, Guwahati-based NGO Global Pandemic Response Forum has announced that the helpline is now open for the general public affected by the pandemic.
To support the general public, Global Pandemic Response Forum has opened Dhara Helpline service on +912239560964 and calls are available 24 hours a day.
Dharitri Nath, project head, Dhara Helpline said, �We have been making efforts to make mental health counselling accessible to all, especially women and children, and the opening of the helpline for the general public was a natural progression for us. Counselling at Dhara Helpline is available in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bodo, Marathi, Khasi, Bengali, Garo and Tamil. While the Dhara Helpline to the corona warriors will remain free, we have added a �Pay as you wish� option for the general public to make the initiative sustainable. The good thing about the Dhara Helpline is that it is open to all and accessible from anywhere in the country.�
Nath added, �Recently, the Director General of WHO made a worldwide appeal to immediately increase access to mental health services. A major component of our country�s response to the coronavirus pandemic will need to include support for the masses with their mental health needs immediately.�
There is an active team of around 150 psychologists from across India working in the helpline. All the counsellors are working from home and contributing pro bono to this effort.
