Trauma soothed after deadly quake(2)

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT OFFERED

In the wake of the earthquake, Sichuan's health department set up a workgroup on psychological and medical support along with two expert panels.

About 80 experts from Sichuan's eight medical institutions have entered Lushan and Baoxing counties, worst hit in the quake, to evaluate local residents' psychological needs, said Zhang Wei, deputy head of the workgroup.

These experts are training local medical staff on psychological intervention and rehabilitation, Zhang said, adding that additional support from other provinces will be brought in if needed.

Experts said psychological support -- an integral part in the relief effort along with life rescue and logistics support -- is a challenging task that needs adequate financial backing and coordination among health, education and civil affairs departments. The help should remain available five to 10 years after the disaster.

The Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 raised the importance of psychological support among the government and the public, said Liu from the Institute of Psychology, adding that the country has made progress on the policy front but should also aim for better implementation among various government departments.

He wants a fund specially earmarked for psychological programs from the budget for relief efforts.

According to Liu, the Institute of Psychology is still running six of 10 psychological support centers, which were established after the Wenchuan earthquake. More than 1,000 specialists and 2,500 volunteers have been involved in the program.

"The cost of running these counselling centers, estimated to be 10 million yuan (1.6 million U.S. dollars) mostly from donations, underscores the need for financial support. Otherwise, it will be too expensive for the programs to carry on," Liu said.

In the counselling center in Longxing school, Xiao Cheng was shown photos of a city, which was reconstructed after the Wenchuan earthquake.

"I hope my hometown will be as beautiful as this one," he said.