IMA to start counselling sessions for resident doctors

It is believed that healthy doctors make a healthy nation. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) will start counselling sessions for resident doctors under the initiative called Doctor for Doctors. The team of mental health experts of IMA will team up with the experts of the medical college and conduct counselling of residential doctors. The session is expected to start from August at the BJ Medical College, Pune said the doctors.

According to doctors, there is an urgent need to look into the issue of mental health of the resident doctors due to the long working hours, work load, harassment and attacks of doctors. Several young residents are having psychological morbidity- the condition of being diseased among the medical students eventually deteriorates their academic performance and also increases the risk of substance abuse. Even studies conducted claim that the resident doctors are depressed, drinking heavily, popping stress relieving pills casually and going through suicidal thoughts.

Dr Sanjay Patil, President, IMA, Pune Chapter, said, “We have already conducted meeting with the officials of the BJ Medical College and it has been decided to start the programme from August of this year. The doctors from the BJ Medical College and mental health experts of IMA will conduct the counselling sessions at BJ Medical. The doctors will be counselled for the doctor-patient communication in the period of crisis and emergency situation.”

Dr Patil said, “Career guidance is also important and the young doctors will be guided about it. The focus will be on the overall mental well-being of the young doctors. Apart from the curriculum and academic development, the doctors have to also take care of themselves.”