Speakers, including academics, on Thursday stressed the need for initiatives to address the mental health crisis of those injured and families of those killed during the student-led mass uprising in July and August.
At a seminar titled Mental Health Crisis: Dealing with Post-July Revolutionary Aspect, organised by Aachol Foundation at Dhaka Reporters Unity, speakers emphasised the need to create a comprehensive list of the injured, including their mental health conditions, to ensure appropriate treatment.
Professor Brigadier General Kamrul Hasan, a neuropsychiatric, said that not only those who participated in the mass uprising but also those who witnessed it might suffer from psychological trauma.
He emphasised that if post-traumatic stress disorder persisted for more than a month, immediate medical intervention was necessary.
Otherwise, the victim may endure lifelong consequences, he added.
Professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology at Dhaka University Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, who delivered the keynote speech, proposed forming a task force comprising mental health experts to develop a framework for providing accessible mental health services to the people.
He also suggested creating a comprehensive list of the injured, including their mental health conditions, to facilitate treatment, and ensuring medical support for the families of those killed in the uprising through both government and private institutions.聽
The professor further recommended launching a government-initiated hotline service to enable victims of the mass uprising to share their stories.
Addressing the event as chief guest, fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter said that a cabinet meeting on Thursday included discussions about taking immediate measures to ensure treatments, including mental health care, for the victims of the July-August uprising.聽
Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant for the health ministry, said that the interim government had so far confirmed a list of up to 10,000 injured, acknowledging that delays have taken a toll on many victims.
Earlier, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on November 17 said that around 1,500 people were killed and 19,931 others injured during the uprising.
