"Important to take care of mental health during COVID pandemic" Karnataka Minister K Sudhakar
Bengaluru: People should take care of their mental health, apart from their physical well being, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said here on Friday.
He also suggested that the public could avail of personal counseling provided by the state government in case they needed it.
"Citizens should concentrate more on their mental health during this pandemic period. Suicide, madness, stress, and other such things are the results of mental depression," Sudhakar was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
Noting that WHO reports around 7.5 percent of people in India are victims of mental depression and the country contributes 15 percent of global mental illness, he cited a survey which said that by 2020, 20 percent of people in India would suffer from mental illness. In view of such factors, people should prioritize mental health, he said.
Pointing out that Karnataka has a separate mental health authority, the Minister said over 7.13 lakh people had already availed of a personal counseling facility.
"Our doctors and nurses are boosting the morale of the patients, apart from rendering regular treatment," he said.
October 10 is observed as a world mental health day to create awareness about mental health.
Highlighting the hardships caused by the pandemic, he said many people had lost their jobs due to the economic crisis, others have had salaries deducted, while those who have jobs are mostly working from homes.
These were some causes for mental depression, he said, adding that family members should support the victims in such difficult times.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
