On 11th March 2024, Sankalp Society, Mamoni, as part of its Telemedicine project for online medical consultation and awareness, successfully conducted an online seminar on mental health. This seminar, specially designed to address the mental health concerns among the rural populace of Shahabad and Kishan Ganj blocks in Baran District of Rajasthan, India, was facilitated on ZOOM.
The telemedicine project was promoted/ financially sponsored by SBI SECURITIES Ltd., Mumbai
The seminar was led by Dr. Drona Sharma, a distinguished psychiatrist with extensive training from Ireland and the UK. With experience spanning Dublin hospitals in the early ’90s and further specialization in Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability from the RCPsych, UK, in 2002, Dr. Sharma brought a wealth of knowledge and insight to the event.
The event saw active participation from the Executive Committee members of Sankalp Society, including नंदकिशोर शर्मा (President), महेश बिंदल (Secretary), उमेश शर्मा (Advisor), Firoz Khan, रमेशचन्द्र सेन (Joint Secretary), and चंद्रशेखर भार्गव (Treasurer), along with dedicated women volunteers such as विद्या सेन and चंद्रों बाई. C-kid centre in-charges from various villages like पवन (Karnapura), दीपक (Ganeshpura), रामरत्न (Kasbanonera), धर्मेंद्र (Ghatti), बबलू (Peenjana), and संजीव (GNM), among many others, also joined from different locations.
The seminar commenced with an introduction of Dr. Drona Sharma and the seminar’s purpose by Shri Umesh Kumar Sharma. Dr. Sharma initiated the session by highlighting that approximately 22% of the population suffers from mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, fear, hearing sounds, memory loss, and dementia. He emphasized the challenge in identifying mental health issues, often obscured compared to physical illnesses, and the reliance on trained professionals for accurate diagnosis and treatment. He also pointed out the inefficacy of traditional local practices in addressing such concerns.
The seminar, being highly interactive, allowed for the sharing of experiences by Shri Mahesh Bindal, Shri Ramesh, and Chandrashekhar, relating both personal insights and those from Sankalp Society’s initiatives like C-kid Centres, Yuva Manch, and Mahila Samooh. Mrs. Vidhya Sen presented case studies of tribal women facing mental health challenges, fostering a detailed discussion with Dr. Sharma.
Concluding the seminar, Shri Nand Kishor Sharma extended a vote of thanks to all participants and especially to Dr. Drona Sharma for his keen interest in the mental health of the rural population and his enthusiasm to contribute to the project on a long-term basis. Special thanks were also conveyed to Shri Firoz Khan for his technical support in making the ZOOM seminar possible.
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