The Indian Psychiatric Society’s Faculty Training Task Force has expressed concern over the absence of mental health management in the newly released training module on management of pandemics for MBBS course.
The Medical Council of India (MCI) recently released a training module on management of pandemics for MBBS course. However, there is not even a single session set aside for mental health in the entire 80 hours of training, regretted co-chairperson of the Indian Psychiatric Society’s Faculty Training Task Force Kishor M.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with mental health of a large number of people and there has been serious concern about suicides, including the recent death of a doctor in Mysuru, he said.
COVID-19 had seen a large number of people suffer from depression, tension, nervousness, anxiety and stress, besides having emotional breakdown or experiencing sleep disturbances. The vulnerable ones also suffer from a compulsive need to hoard groceries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare too have warned about the mental health issues arising out of the pandemic and called for a need to address the same.
The absence of mental health in the training module on management of pandemic for MBBS course released by the MCI recently will adversely affect the new doctors’ ability to address comprehensive health issues in the pandemic when there is not even minimal training on mental health, said Dr. Kishor, who earlier served as the convener of Indian Psychiatric Society’s Combat Depression Task Force.
