Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Unexpected events in life often lead to stress, and medical students, too, face stress and depression due to various reasons during their education. In such situations, some take extreme steps. Recognising this concern, a ‘Stress Management Committee’ has been set up to remain alert and provide support to medical students at GMCH. Students dealing with stress, anxiety, mental distress, or other emotional difficulties can seek help from a team of experienced doctors with just a single phone call.
The ‘IMA Saathi – Stress Management Committee’ was formally launched on Tuesday at a programme organised by the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in association with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), under the guidance of dean Dr Shivaji Sukre. Boards displaying the mobile numbers of 10 expert doctors from the committee have been installed at various locations in GMCH. These doctors will assist students facing stress, anxiety, or any mental health-related issues.
Those present at the programme included vice-dean Dr Prabha Khaire, Dr Vinod Mundada, head of Anatomy Dr Archana Kalyankar, head of Psychiatry Dr Prasad Deshpande, IMA president Dr Anupam Takalkar, secretary Dr Yogesh Lakkas, Dr Purushottam Darkh, Dr Datta Kadam, senior psychiatrist Dr A. A. Qadri, Dr Amol Deshmukh, Dr Pradip Deshmukh, and Dr Swapna Ambekar.
Need for emotional education in school curriculum
At the outset, Dr Prasad Deshpande and Dr Amol Deshmukh guided students on the topic of communication skills and stress management. Dr Deshpande said effective communication helps reduce stress and stressed the importance of knowing what to say and what not to say while interacting with patients. Dr Deshmukh noted that while stress cannot be eliminated, it can be managed, and advocated for lessons on emotions in the school curriculum. He urged medical students to seek timely help during periods of distress.
Photo Caption:
Lighting the ceremonial lamp during the programme at GMCH are Dr Archana Kalyankar and Dr Amol Deshmukh. Also seen are Dr Prasad Deshpande, Dr A. A. Qadri, Dr Prabha Khaire, Dr Vinod Mundada, Dr Anupam Takalkar, Dr Purushottam Darkh, and Dr Datta Kadam.