Psychological counseling provided to front-line medical staff

A team of 23 therapists in North China's Hebei province are assigned to provide online psychological counseling to medical staff on the front line of the battle against the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and epicenter of the epidemic outbreak, aiming to help them overcome pressure during work.

The team will provide counseling services to medical personnel in Wuhan via video chats on WeChat, a major social platform in China, according to Li Keqing, head of the Hebei Provincial Mental Health Center based in Baoding city.

The counseling started on Sunday and a dozen of the medical employees have applied for the service as of Monday, Li said.

According to media reports, the province has sent more than 200 medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, to Wuhan to support treating patients infected with the virus.

Li said the counseling services are available 24 hours a day and the appointments will be arranged according to schedules of the medical staff whenever they can use WeChat on a smartphone and have a video conversation with appointed therapists.