Avoid stigma towards ex- Covid patients, says Dept

Kota Kinabalu: Chief Assistant Director (Counselling Psychology) of the Sabah Health Department, Hairuni Kasuagi, (pic) said society should avoid stigma towards the former Covid-19 patients because psychological support from people around is very much needed.

She said mental health affects a person’s immune system, when a patient experiences stress or depression, the body’s immune system will decline causing the healing process to take longer.

“Stigma also affects individuals who have symptoms even though they have not been confirmed positive, it makes them afraid to be honest and will refuse to come forward for treatment.

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“It indirectly hindered the effort to break the chain of infection because these symptomatic individuals do not seek treatment and have the potential to infect others,” she said in the Influencer @ JaPen Program with the topic ‘facing the Stigma of Patients Covid-19’ at Wisma Dang Bandang.

Meanwhile, Hairuni explained that the mass media influenced the existence of stigma on patients, patients’ families and even former patients.

“Today’s challenge is that fake news spreads faster than the Covid-19 virus itself, it creates fear in society and disturbs their emotions.

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“As a caring society, we should stay away from such stigma because the virus does not know status and patients also undergo screening and confirmation from a doctor before being allowed out,” she said.

Hairuni said, apart from counsellors in the health department, the public can also contact counsellors at other agencies as well as online support such as the ‘special line of Covid counseling services’ by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, ‘befrienders’ from non-governmental organisations ( NGOs) as well as various other channels that are accessible to the community.

“The MOH is highly aware of this issue and has added 28 psychological officers in Sabah who are placed in health clinics compared to the previous 12 people who were placed in hospitals,” she said.