Protocol for psychological rehabilitation of Covid patients to be released on April 23

Realising the importance and need of psychological care along with the physical treatment for Covid-19 patients, three premier institutions of the country have come together to develop a protocol for their psychosocial rehabilitation.

The release of the protocol is scheduled to take place on Friday.

The three eminent institutions are -- the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Ayush, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA), the Ayush ministry said in a statement.

Yoga and naturopathy systems have shown effectiveness in facilitating the recovery of Covid-19 patients. Simple breathing exercises and "pranayama" have been seen to enhance the SPO2 levels in symptomatic patients and those with respiratory distress, the ministry said.

Preliminary reports from studies conducted by the CCRYN also validate these findings.

The current protocol is a collaborative effort to address these symptoms and the psychological sequelae of Covid-19 patients.

The release of the protocol is scheduled to take place on Friday.

This will be followed by an online workshop for BNYS practitioners, in which they will be trained in the protocol.

The workshop will also address the enhanced burden on the healthcare workforce in our country from the perspective of the naturopathy sector.

"The healthcare institutions in parts of our country have been overwhelmed by the sheer burden of Covid-19 cases. It has reportedly become a challenge under these circumstances to pay attention to every individual patient," the ministry said.

According to reports, the accompanying psychological distress in Covid-19 patients are often ignored and not managed. There have also been reports of anxiety and acute depression, leading to suicides in Covid care hospitals, the statement said.

Many of the patients, according to inputs coming in from different countries, have had to contend with isolation anxiety and distress due to the fear of worsening of the symptoms.

Complications like respiratory distress, hypoxia, fatigue and insomnia and other symptoms have also been observed.

The online workshop will help impart knowledge about the epidemiology of Covid-19, the course of the disease, screening for distress and psychological sequelae, management of distress and psychological sequelae using yoga and naturopathy approaches.