PH eyes mental care, social healing program for COVID-19 survivors

A shadow of a locally stranded individual who spent a night at the track and football stadium of Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila on July 27, 2020. Thousands of LSIs gathered at the complex in the hope that they can return to their home provinces due to surge of COVID19 cases in Metro Manila that led to travel restrictions and unemployment. — PDI/Richard Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is eyeing a “mental care” and “social healing” program for COVID-19 survivors but is yet to discuss it with the country’s task force against the severe respiratory disease.

National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday the government is exploring the idea of giving further mental care and social healing for COVID-19 survivors since it has been observed that there is a stigma for those who contracted the disease.

“Maraming tumawag sa ‘tin na pami-pamilya nagbe-breakdown. Also there are many cases also na may mga suicide cases and with this, this is a very serious problem after that we have undertaken or maybe eliminated the disease,” he said in a Palace briefing.

(Many families are calling us who are breaking down. There are also many cases of suicide so this is a very serious problem that we have to address after that we have undertaken or maybe eliminated the disease.)

Galvez said the government has already consulted with experts to further explore mental care and social healing and to have reconstruction of reconstitution of mental care in terms of COVID-19 stigma.

For his part, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that the topic is yet to be discussed with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

However, he said that this is already part of the reintegration program for recovered COVID-19 patients.

As of April 28, there are 935,695 COVID-19 cases that have recovered from the disease out of the 1,020,495 cumulative confirmed cases in the country.

Meanwhile, there are 67,769 active cases and 17,031 deaths.

EDV