Specialists have called for a "psycho-social ecological model" at every level of society to provide mental health care for people with cancer, for survivors and for those who care for them. Cancer treatment, they said, cannot be limited to the body.
They were speaking on the afternoon of Friday 30 October at a seminar titled "Psychological Support for Cancer Patients, Survivors and Caregivers", organised by the Centre for Cancer Care Foundation (CCCF) at Dhaka University's R. C. Majumdar auditorium. CCCF president Rokshana Afroz chaired it and presented the keynote paper.
Rokshana Afroz said that after diagnosis, patients and their families go through fear, anxiety, uncertainty and financial strain. Sensitivity to their state of mind at every stage of treatment, counselling where needed and support for carers are essential, she said, calling for government and private bodies, hospitals and volunteer groups to work together to link cancer care with mental health care.
Dr Abu Jamil Faisal, a member of the CCCF executive committee, said treatment plans should take account of patients' stress, anxiety and family situation, and that health providers and support groups must communicate well so that patients and carers get reliable information and help when they need it.
Public health professional Dr Ituki Chakma stressed coping with stress, giving people room to talk about their experience and making it normal to ask for help. Shami Surid, senior counsellor at BRAC University's Counselling and Wellness Centre, spoke on the role of counselling and access to mental health services.
Guests included Bangladesh Cancer Society president Professor Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, Dr Sanjida Akhter, chair of Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies department, palliative care specialist Dr Nadia Farhin of Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital, and clinical psychology lecturer Liza Akter.
Source: samakal
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