People in Bengal who are now in quarantine at various state-controlled facilities will undergo psychological counselling, the state government has decided.

“We want to start with all those facilities where it is easier to arrange for psychologists from nearby district hospitals or medical colleges,” a health department official said. “The chief medical officer of health in the districts has been asked to make necessary arrangements. It will take a few days to bring all those quarantined under this process.”

On Sunday, more than 6,000 people were in institutional quarantine across Bengal. The health department has identified such people by assessing their vulnerability because of their physical proximity with coronavirus patients. These people have been categorised as “high-risk quarantine”.

Besides these, close to 49,000 people are in home quarantine, according to health department officials. They have been quarantined based on their travel history — either from foreign countries or within the country.

Primarily, it has been decided that among the 6,000 people, comprising senior citizens and children, those with certain behavioural changes, including sudden bursts of anger, extreme restlessness or refusing to cooperate with health workers, will be psychologically counselled.

“Psychological counselling will be a good step. There was an elderly person in the ward I was in during quarantine and I could see how stressed he was for being all alone,” said the 24-year-old MBA student from Habra who was quarantined and then kept isolated at the Beleghata ID hospital after she tested positive for the coronavirus.

The student was discharged last week.

“The moment one is quarantined, a sense of uncertainty creeps in and it can be very impairing and debilitating,” psychiatrist Jai Ranjan Ram said. “And then follows the fear of social stigma. It can be stressful to know that you can’t be with your loved ones when you are ill and down.”

The World Health Organisation has said those in quarantine might suffer mental stress and that children and older adults might need special handling.

“Doctors at each of these quarantine facilities will be the best judge. If there are children, we will arrange for their counselling,” the health department official said.