BHUBANESWAR: After exposure visits to foreign countries, the state government has decided to send doctors to ashrams to learn stress management skills. Sources said 220 doctors will be sent to Art of Living ashrams and Isha Yoga Centres. While 180 doctors will attend sessions at Art of Living ashrams in Kerala, Bengaluru and Gujarat, the remaining 40 will undergo training at Coimbatore Isha Yoga Centre.
The decision to send more doctors for stress management training was taken after two batches of doctors (20 in each batch) were imparted sensitive communication and stress management skills at Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore last month for inner engineering retreat.
While 30 doctors were sent to Singapore, 20 more will embark on the exposure tour to Dubai next week. Earlier, 25 doctors had attended a skill development and stress management workshop at Brahma Kumari ashram at Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
A senior health official said doctors in public health facilities are overburdened and remain under tremendous stress due to patient load. They are on duty for more than 12 hours a day and those who are posted in periphery hospitals hardly enjoy holidays due to vacancies.“The initiatives like orientation on management of stress, time, and having a more empathetic and sensitive communication with patients will be beneficial for them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Health and Family Welfare department has asked the manager of OTDC tours and travels to book economy class air tickets. As per the decision, six groups of doctors (30 in each group) will visit Art of Living ashram and two groups (20 in each group) will attend the training at Isha centre.
The director of health services and director of medical education and training have been directed to send the list of Odisha Medical Health Services (OMHS) cadre and Odisha Medical Education Service (OMES) cadre doctors, respectively to be sent for stress management training.
A lesson or two
220 doctors to be sent to Art of Living ashrams and Isha Yoga centres
20 doctors to leave on exposure tour to Dubai next week
25 doctors had attended skill devpt and stress management workshop at Mt Abu