The district administration is battling Covid-19 outbreak at multiple levels by setting up quarantine centre, isolating and treating suspected patients and taking care of their mental health.
To take care of the mental and physical health of those quarantined at 23 centres spread across the district, the administration has arranged for their entertainment, physical activity and psychological counselling.
To ensure that 450 persons, including 20 women and 15 children, at the government-run centres do not suffer from bouts of depression, the administration has equipped them with facilities to keep them away from news related to Covid. There are 17,398 others who are in home quarantine across the district. The centres taken together have 3,136 beds where mostly migrant labourers with have inter-state or inter-district travel history have been lodged.
At its quarantine facilities, the administration has arranged free WiFi and installed television sets, distributed cards for the entertainment of inmates.
'The administration is helping us uplift our moods as we stay indoors and maintain quarantine protocol,' said an inmate at a centre in the district's Kashipur block. The inmate, along with three others, was busy playing a game of cards while maintaining social distancing.
Officials said the aim was to help inmates spent time overcome anxiety and depression as they stay quarantined.
'People can easily spend time with their smart phones if they have access to Internet. They can also stay connected with the world, family and friends through social networking sites,' said Rahul Majumdar district magistrate of Purulia.
As they watch television channels, officials are helping them stay away from news and instead watch movies and listen to songs.
'Listening to their favourite song or watching a good movie will help them stay away from worry and reduce panic,' said a district official.
To help them stay fit and beat stress, police personnel are holding physical exercises for them, while psychiatrists are holding counselling session to reduce their agony.
'We all know physical exercise not only keeps the body fit but the mind fresh. We can reduce stress by practicing yoga. We are taking help of the psychiatrists to counsel the inmates,' said Majumdar and added the children and women were being taken care of.
The kids have been given educational toys so that they can spend quality time as they stay quarantined with their mothers.
'It is obvious we are worried because of the pandemic. The anxiety has increased since we are quarantined but the initiative has helped reduced our stress,' said an inmate over phone from Jhaldah. There are 71 people staying at the Jhaldah centre.
Psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist Sayantani Bishnu Kumar said the initiatives would help reduce anticipatory worry of the people staying in quarantine.
'The life of people from all socioeconomic status has been disrupted and there is a kind of discomfort for staying away from home and staying with strangers. Those who are daily wage earners suffer mostly in anticipatory grief apprehending what awaits them in the future. They should now stay away from news related to Covid-19 that would add to their agony,' Kumar said.
'Watching movies rather than news channels will ensure positive distraction for them. Yoga and deep breathing exercises will uplift their physical and mental health. As for the kids, playing with toys and storytelling is an easy way to distract their mind,' she said.
'The inmates are practicing physical exercise and yoga in the morning and group counselling session is held in the afternoon,' said Majumdar.
The district administration will provide certificates to the inmates after the14-day statutory quarantine period ends.
The district has no Covid-19 positive cases till date and seven persons showing symptoms of coronavirus have been kept at the isolation ward in Purulia Deben Mahato Sadar hospital.
