Genia Sarkar, a 40-year-old, runs her family with her husband and two daughters. But her mood remains always pettish.
Her elder daughter was born blind and she spends almost of the day with this daughter.
At the beginning, Genia’s husband thought that her wife’s mood always remains snappish as she has to spend her time with their daughters. But after few days, his assumption has been proved wrong.
The husband felt that the problem will deteriorate further unless it is solved. So one day, he along with her wife visited a psychiatrist.
Young beautiful woman Rahela became a victim of acid terrorism in March last year. A spoilt youth of her locality had been proposing her for love. As Rahela did not respond, the youth threw acid on her in a broad daylight.
Then Rahela was admitted to the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital with a critical condition. She later returned home after receiving treatment at the hospital for long. Though Rahela now feels well to some extent, she remains always depressed.
There are millions of women like Genia and Rahela who are suffering from depression. But 99 percent of these never visited any psychiatrist. Mainly unaware and ignorance are its main reasons. Most of the women do not understand that they are suffering from depression.
Keeping these women in mind, the Access to Information (a2i) and the Ministry of Women and Children are going to launch a service-oriented website through the Women Innovation Camp.
With the launching of the website, officials concerned said, the women will get all information relating to health, especially mental health, through it.
The women, particularly after giving birth to child, suffer from depression due to parturition. They will get a way of overcoming from this disease through this website. Besides, there will be information about the nurture of the children in the website.
The main planner of the website is Monira Hossain, who is an acid terrorism victim.
Monira said: “I myself am a sufferer … I feel that an acid burnt woman goes through how much mental disorder. Mainly from that position, I started thinking about doing something for the women.”
Monira said she raised her plan in the Women Innovation Camp last year and the plan was declared winners on the World Women Day on March 7 in 2017. “I was given Taka 19 lakh for executing the plan,” she said.
She said a dummy design of the website has been developed and more work is going on. “I hope the website could be made open to all in the next year’s Women Day,” Monira said.
She said the women are frequently facing various problems in the family and society. As a result, they are suffering from mental disorder which may take an alarming turn later.
Monira said the website will help women suffering from depression to take steps and solve their problems. Besides, there will be a hotline through which the women could take counselling on different psychological problems.
Through this website, she said, the women can know other healthcare services of the government.
Psychiatrist Dr Anwarul Islam said: “Many people of our country call psychological problem as a mental disease and also consider the visiting of the doctors for depression as luxury.”
She said most of the people in the country are not aware of it. If any person suffers from mental depression for a long time than the problem may deteriorate further.
Monira said in the developed countries, all – from children to elderly people – visit physicians for once in a month or at least once in six months.
“Any woman can suffer from this mental disorder for any reason like family unrest, office trouble or tackling her children. But proper advice and treatment at right time are needed to prevent it,” she said.
Welcoming the government initiatives for launching of the website for the women, Monira said proper steps will have to be undertaken so that this service could reach every house.
