The Ministry of Health and Social Services has advised frontline workers to seek psychosocial support and counselling both privately and from the public sector to assist them in better dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry’s Executive Director Ben Nangombe in an interview with Nampa said the current rise in infections and deaths due to COVID-19 is taking a toll on health workers who have been at the frontline of the pandemic since March 2020, when Namibia reported its first COVID-19 case.
As of Tuesday, Namibia had reported 1 224 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the outbreak. The country also had 14 887 active cases, of which more than 530 people were admitted in hospitals countrywide and 96 were in intensive care units.
“It can be overwhelming, especially for our health workers. These people have seen and experienced difficult situations especially with the number of deaths that are occurring at the moment. That may have psychological effects on an individual and it is for that reason that we provide that support both at national and regional level,” Nangombe said.
He explained that as part of the COVID-19 response, the ministry has the infection prevention control and psychosocial support pillar which provides information on how frontline workers can protect themselves and also offers counselling to health workers.
These services, he said, are available and can be provided directly by social workers employed within the ministry or frontline workers can seek and access them through private service providers.
He said with the ministry, the support can be provided to individuals or in groups and can include teamwork and teambuilding exercises meant to lift the spirit of individuals.
“Here at national level, the leader of the psychosocial support team engages the regional team to ensure they are provided that service,” he added.
Earlier this month, health minister Kalumbi Shangula made a call to all stakeholders, including religious leaders, counsellors, psychologists and social workers to avail their services and provide support to those in need.
“One of the invisible and perhaps unreported impacts of COVID-19 is the heavy toll the pandemic is taking on mental health. The need for psychosocial support and counselling for patients and their families has grown. This is particularly so after diagnosis and more especially in cases where patients succumb to the disease, and families require bereavement counselling. Our healthcare workers and other frontline staff are not spared,” Shangula said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
