Chile prepares for depression among trapped miners

Production and Markets

Chilean authorities will prescribe antidepressants to miners trapped in an underground copper mine should an estimated three-month rescue effort take its toll on their mental wellbeing, Health Minister Jaime Manalich said.

“The euphoria of the initial contact on Sunday will likely give way to a period of depression and anguish,” Manalich said in televised comments. “We are preparing drugs for that.”

Medical specialists including psychiatrists, psychologists and nutritionists will discuss measures to maintain the miners’ physical and mental health in a conference call today after they were discovered alive Aug 22, Manalich said. Authorities are taking advice from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Chilean Navy.

The 33 miners, trapped underground for 20 days following a collapse in the San Jose mine in northern Chile, are in good health as food, water and medicine are delivered through a 700m drill hole, he said. They have accepted that the rescue may take until Christmas, he said.

NASA may send a delegation to the mine site, Manalich said. Soap, clothes and games including dominos and ludo will be sent down the drill hole, he said.

The mine is owned by Cia Minera San Esteban Primera SA. Chile’s state-owned copper mining company Codelco plans to cut through rock using a drill wide enough to pull the men out. The drilling, which can advance as much as 20m/day, may start Aug 28 after the machinery is assembled.

Aug 25 (Bloomberg)