Kerala Women's Commission to offer tele-counselling amidst lockdown

Thiruvananthapuram: Women, suffering from mental stress and strain in the time of coronavirus outbreak and lockdown, now have an indoor remedy to get relief, thanks to the tele-counselling initiative of the Kerala Women's Commission (KWC).

The women's panel is all set to provide the service to the women cutting across their age in the southern state.

As the country is under complete lockdown, this would help women suffering from stress and tension to share their worries and get relief by staying safe within their house, official sources here said.

As part of the initiative, the agency has published a set of phone numbers of their expert counsellors.

Women's Commission chairperson M C Josephine said the initiative was exclusively targetting women.

We are going through a tough time and stress and anxiety is very much high nowadays. Considering the plight of women, who are suffering from stress and strain in the time of virus outbreak and lockdown, we have decided to provide them the service of our counsellors
- M C Josephine, WC chairperson

Another KWC official said the initiative was drawn up after it was brought to the notice of the panel that a large number of women were suffering from stress due to the lockdown.

The phone numbers of more counsellors would be published in the newspapers soon and the needy women can contact them directly, she said.

Ayswarya, a 35-year old homemaker here, said the initiative would be a great help as no one can go out and seek the service of counsellors as the lockdown was in place.

"Even the very news of virus spread and fresh cases are more than enough to create unwanted tension and stress. In this time of lockdown, we have no other way to get expert suggestions and get relief," she said.

Kerala reported its first coronavirus death in Kochi on Saturday.

The total number of people undergoing treatment in the southern state for the deadly virus rose to 165, according to the government.