RDPR Varsity opens counseling centre to help those suffering from COVID-19 trauma

Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (KSRDPR) University, Gadag has started Manochetana, a free counseling centre on Thursday for people who are under stress during the pandemic. A facility in this regard has set up at the university's old building at the old DC office premises. People who feel themselves under stress can visit here for counseling.

In the wake of a surge in COVID-19 positive numbers, authorities in the university decided to provide relief for the people who have gone or are going through a trauma. It took the assistance of the Indian Psychiatric Society of Karnataka Branch and Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences and running the programme jointly.

The University has appointed persons trained in psychology with post-graduate or PG Diploma degrees to counsel the people. The counselors are mainly aiming at farmers, students and women who have been under stress after the COVID-19 hit. Many students with no option of classes are worried about their future and are thinking that their precious time was hit by the pandemic. Degree passed-out students are finding it difficult to get jobs, hence the counselors have decided to invite such students. Some farmers who worried about selling their crops amid Covid and women who have been sitting inside homes without any jobs are also in need of jobs, said counselors. Nagaratna Naik, a counselor said, "We have also got inquiries from the Health department saying that many health staff needs counseling as they are continuously working for more than a year in helping people to fight with the pandemic, now the second wave created panic among them".