Leh: A five-day capacity building workshop on Psychosocial Care in Disaster Management began today at the Conference Hall of the National Health Mission (NHM) office in Leh. The initiative, aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness in the health sector, is part of the Central Sector Scheme on Health Sector Disaster Preparedness and Response, and is being implemented by the Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management (DPSSDM), NIMHANS Bengaluru.
The workshop is designed to train psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, and medical officers to effectively address the psychosocial needs of survivors during and after disasters.
The inaugural session was graced by Mission Director, NHM Ladakh, Shri Tushar Anand, IAS, who commended the initiative for equipping Ladakh’s health workforce with critical skills to handle the mental health challenges arising in emergencies.
Technical sessions on Day One were led by Dr. K. Sekar, Consultant, DPSSDM, and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Manikappa, Principal Investigator and Associate Professor at NIMHANS. Dr. Sanjeev emphasized the importance of integrating mental health into all phases of disaster management—preparedness, response, and recovery. He also highlighted international frameworks like the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, noting their relevance in building resilient, people-centric health systems.
Citing the World Risk Report 2020, Dr. Sanjeev drew attention to the alarming increase in global disasters—416 major events in a single year causing over two million deaths—and the critical role of climate change in intensifying risks. He stressed the urgency of embedding psychosocial care into public health systems.
Participants were introduced to real-world disaster case studies including the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, pandemics, terror attacks, and civil unrest, with discussions focusing on the interplay of psychological, social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities during crises.
With this initiative, Ladakh becomes the 21st State/UT in India to adopt this psychosocial disaster care framework—a key step toward enhancing regional disaster resilience. In a live demonstration, Dr. Sanjeev guided frontline workers through rapid response techniques to be deployed during emergencies.
The workshop continues through the week, aiming to empower Ladakh’s healthcare professionals to design and deliver timely, effective psychosocial interventions—reinforcing the UT’s preparedness for future disasters.
