Five-Day Capacity Building Workshop on Psychosocial Care in Disaster Management Commences at NHM Office, Leh.

Five-Day Capacity Building Workshop on Psychosocial Care in Disaster Management Commences at NHM Office, Leh.
Leh, July 21: A five day training workshop on Psychosocial Care in Disaster Management Health Sector Disaster Preparedness and Response commenced today at the Conference Hall of the Mission Director, National Health Mission NHM Leh. The workshop is being held under the Central Sector Scheme Health Sector Disaster Preparedness and Response, and is being implemented by the Department of Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management (DPSSDM), NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, and medical officers in effectively addressing psychosocial needs of survivors during and after disasters.
The inaugural session was graced by the Mission Director, NHM Ladakh, Shri Tushar Anand, IAS, who attended as the Chief Guest. He lauded the initiative for its focus on equipping Ladakh’s health workforce with vital knowledge and skills to manage psychosocial aspects during emergency situations.
Eminent experts in the field of disaster mental health, including Dr. K. Sekar, Consultant, DPSSDM and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Manikappa, Principal Investigator and Associate Professor, DPSSDM, NIMHANS, facilitated the technical sessions on Day One. In his address, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar emphasized the need for robust mental health support mechanisms at all stages of disaster management preparedness, response, and recovery. He highlighted global frameworks such as the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, underlining their relevance in building people-centric, resilient health systems.
Referencing the World Risk Report 2020, Dr. Sanjeev noted the alarming rise in global disasters, with 416 natural events recorded in a single year, resulting in over two million deaths. He stressed the growing impact of climate change in exacerbating disaster risks and called for integrating psychosocial care and disaster education into the public health infrastructure.
Participants were also exposed to global and national disaster scenarios, with real-life case studies including the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, pandemics, terror attacks, and incidents of civil unrest. The sessions delved into the identification of vulnerabilities psychological, social, economic, and environmental that contributes to disaster impact.
Ladakh has become the 21st State/UT in the country to implement this initiative, marking a significant milestone in enhancing regional disaster resilience. During a hands-on session, Dr. Sanjeev conducted live demonstrations on response techniques, guiding frontline workers on rapid and effective interventions during emergencies.
The ongoing workshop aims to empower healthcare professionals in Ladakh to design, communicate, and execute timely psychosocial interventions, thereby contributing meaningfully to the region’s disaster preparedness and response framework.