Counseling sessions have begun for those impacted by Hurricane Dorian, according to Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands.
“We have had teams go into Abaco and Grand Bahama. We have had limited counseling in New Providence, but we are amping up the efforts even more,” Dr. Sands said yesterday.
“I spoke with Bishop Simeon Hall just this morning about adding counseling trained pastors to the team. We would have met with PAHO about this particular issue and the health implications of this disaster. So, they’re on board in terms of helping us to identify additional professionals to do counseling.”
Dr. Sands said that this process can take a while considering the extreme conditions of the storm.
“People have been subjected to horror, to hell. They have witnessed their loved ones pulled away from them never to be seen again. They have seen the most horrible images. They have seen their life’s work and life savings lost,” he said.
“So when you add that on top of all of the stress and challenges that people have been having, you realize the extent of the psychological impact.”
Eugene Ferguson, a resident of Spring City, Abaco told The Bahama Journal that his 18-year-old son Gino has not been the same after venturing into Marsh Harbour to explore the damage.
“We saw like 10 body bags with bodies in it and he told me he saw this guy who got trapped in his car holding the steering wheel and apparently drowned right there,” he said.
“It’s affecting him on some level because he came home that evening and went to bed at six o’ clock in the evening. Eighteen-year-olds don’t go to bed at that time. He went straight to bed.”
Director of Education Marcellus Taylor also indicated that the Ministry of Education is committed to assisting impacted students in this regard.
He said counseling will also be provided as a part of those displaced students’ registration process.
It has been two weeks since Hurricane Dorian assaulted the northwest islands of The Bahamas, leaving Abaco decimated and the island of Grand Bahama in ruins.
