HEALING THE HEALERS

Though much is said about the mental health of care providers, the question remains-how seriously do we take it? How can health care workers deal with stress?

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In a session moderated by Namrata Biji Ahuja, chief of bureau, New Delhi, the discussion focused on coping mechanisms for health care providers who bear the brunt of pain and suffering. Dr Jyothi Kakumanu, a neurophysiologist, and a few young residents from AIIMS Delhi joined the discussion. Excerpts:

Dr Jyothi Kakumanu/ In my experience, there were situations where the medical system I worked in couldn't give me answers. That's when I began exploring Buddhist perspectives. I realised I was treating patients like a parrot—repeating what I had learned without truly understanding it. Only when certain life events hit me hard did I feel the need to go deeper, and that opened up an entirely new way of seeing suffering.