Suicides in isolation wards a growing concern

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With reports of three people allegedly committing suicide in Covid-19 ward of Medical College Hospital coming to light, the health department is set to scale up psychological assistance for patients and people in quarantine

A 52-year-old man hailing from Kollam was recently found hanging in the Covid isolation ward of the Government Medical College Hospital here. The patient had been admitted to the hospital after he fell from a tree. This is not a lone incident of suicide reported from isolation wards.Last month, two suspected cases of suicide were reported at the deluxe pay ward of the Medical College Hospital (MCH). One was a 33-year-old Covid-19 patient who fled the hospital the day he was to be discharged after getting cured. The man was apprehended by the officials and brought back to the facility.

However, he was later found hanging by a nurse and could not be revived despite being rushed to the critical care unit. In a similar incident, a 38-year-old Nedumangad native who was admitted to the MCH with Covid-19 symptoms and was under observation allegedly killed himself by hanging.

With rising cases of suicides among people in isolation wards, psycho-social support is being offered to those being treated in hospitals and the persons in quarantine facing stress and anxiety. Now, the health department is set to scale up its psychosocial support team for reaching out to people for the same. Besides psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, the department is also training and deploying counsellors from other programmes such as Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

According to reports from the state Mental Health Programme, 6,73,407 people in quarantine and isolation have been given psychosocial assistance across the state. “The pattern of the issues faced by those in quarantine or isolation has evolved since the outbreak of the pandemic. Prolonged stress and anxiety accompanied by stigma have led to suicidal tendencies among people. This needs to be addressed at the earliest,” said an officer of the programme.

Psychiatrists at hospitals have also started introducing various interventions to analyse the mental state of patients in isolation wards. Anilkumar T V, professor of the department of psychiatry, Government Medical College, said, “There are many risk factors such as stress, anxiety and depression which are affecting the patients badly. Absence of family support coupled with the depressing hospital environment might trigger adverse tendencies. So, it is important to intervene at the right moment and provide necessary counselling or medication if required.”

A distress-thermometer is being used by the health experts to analyse the level of despair in the patients and provide them with necessary counselling. “The distress level of the patient is measured on a scale of 0 to 10. If it is between 0 and 3, it is considered mild, 4 to 6 is moderate and above 6 is severe. We have been analysing the distress of the patients in isolation wards based on the thermometer and people who have distress level above 4 are being given proper counselling,” said Anilkumar.

He also added that the staff at the hospital are being trained to socialise and be more friendly with the patients in isolation wards. Manasa, a self-help support group of the hospital, is also providing counselling to patients. Leisure activities like reading books and listening to music have been introduced to patients in MCH. The authorities are planning for more recreation facilities.