Outpatient waiting area of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) modified for social distancing and partitioned with plastic sheets to prevent Covid spread.

While the first wave of Covid infections didn’t stress Sri Lanka’s healthcare services…

…the second wave has caused anxiety, fear, and anger among the public and rising stress among healthcare workers, who worry about infection and passing the disease to their families.

The Asia Foundation worked with the Ministry of Health to support self-care for frontline providers. Short text messages provide practical tips and reminders for staff to care for their own mental health.

Consulting psychiatrist Mahesan Ganesan is a driving force behind the NIMH’s Training of Trainers program (ToT), a collaboration with The Asia Foundation to train nurses as master trainers who return to conduct training in their own hospitals.

Nurse Piyumi Ekanayake is head of training and research for the ToT program. Since the program began in 2015, master trainers have trained 200 nurses across the country.

When the Covid lockdowns arrived, some ToT nurses began staffing the NIMH’s 24-hour helpline. With countrywide links to psychiatric teams, legal aid groups, gender-based organizations, and the Human Rights Commission, the toll-free line has received close to 12,000 calls from people seeking urgent help of all kinds during the pandemic.

Psychosocial worker Nadeesha Herath counsels a patient at the VTTP-supported Family Rehabilitation Center. The FRC offers individual and group counseling services to survivors of violence.

Psychosocial workers participate in a peer support session. These sessions are important to maintain healthcare workers’ resilience and the quality of care in a stressful environment.

Sudarshani Deepika, center left, a counseling assistant from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, visits a client at home.

Home visits are an important part of holistic care.

FRC community volunteer Anusha Priyadarshani on her way to visit a neighboring village.

Community volunteers have been trained to recognize symptoms of trauma. They are the first point of contact for people who need mental health services.

Community leaders on the Grassroots Action Committee meet with FRC staff. These committees play an important role in identifying people in need and making referrals to the FRC’s community volunteers.

The Victims of Trauma Treatment Program builds the capacity of NGOs and government agencies to provide treatment and rehabilitation to individuals, families, and communities scarred by violence and social dislocation.