Psychologists, doctors in Mizoram’s quake-hit areas to assist people deal with mental trauma

Aizawl, July 20 (PTI) The Mizoram government is sending psychologists and doctors to the remote villages of the state near the Myanmar border, hit by a series of earthquakes, to assist the people to deal with the mental trauma following the natural calamities.

Twenty-two earthquakes have hit the state since June 18 with three within a span of seven hours only on Friday, forcing hundreds of people to live in the open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three teams, each consisting of a doctor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist, will be reaching Champhai, the worst-hit district, during the day and speak to the people, Health Minister R Lalthangliana said.

Lalthangliana said the frequent earthquakes have a psychological impact on the people who are forced to spend the nights outside their homes.

He said due to the earthquakes people were afraid of sleeping in their homes.

A community leader from Dungtlang village in Champhai said many families have spent their nights awake, while some slept inside cars and trucks.

Lalthangliana, who also holds the Geology and Mineral Resources portfolio, said a team from the department is also camping in the area for more than a week.

The latest earthquake to hit Champhai, which is located on the India-Myanmar border, was recorded in the early hours of Monday. A 3.2-magnitude earthquake struck the district at 3.39 am. The location was 24 km south of Champhai, as per the National Centre for Seismology.

Over 160 houses were damaged in Champhai in the series of quakes, officials said, adding that the final figure may be higher as they are still assessing the losses.

Source: PTI