Kerala - Kozhikode   

Corporation to begin palliative care scheme in February

Staff Reporter

First of its kind to be implemented by a local body

Kozhikode: The Kozhikode Corporation's ambitious palliative care scheme will become operational from February. Said to be the first of its kind implemented by a local body, the scheme will benefit over 300 bedridden patients in the city.

The Health and Education Standing Committee of the Corporation, which is spearheading the movement with the active support of the Pain and Palliative Society, attached to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and the City Clinic, started imparting a 10-day training on palliative care to 100 volunteers from Wednesday. Around 60 volunteers were already given training.

The Corporation had earlier invited participants, including individuals and organisations, a fortnight ago for the noble cause of providing service to patients suffering from cancer, old age diseases, stroke, AIDS, other severe aliments and those bedridden due to accidents.

The volunteers are being given classes in theory and clinical training. Dr. Suresh Kumar, director of the Pain and Palliative Clinic, is in charge of the training programme.

Preliminary studies conducted by the Corporation revealed that there are over 300 patients confined to beds without getting proper care and medicines in the city.

As per the scheme, doctors will visit these patients at their house once a week. The services of trained volunteers will also be given to the patients regularly.

The chronically ill patients will be rendered all help in dressing their wounds and administering medicines. The Corporation has also sought the services of nurses from Government-run hospitals in this regard. Their assistance will be required for patients in critical condition, according to officials.

This comprehensive package will be functioning from the Corporation office and will have four exclusive health wings and a mobile unit for transporting doctors and nurses. A volunteer will handle three patients in a specified area in the city limits.

Another unique feature of the programme is to smoothen the distribution of palliative medicines to patients. Patients and relatives can obtain medicines from the Palliative Care Centre at the makeshift office to be initially set up at the Corporation's office on the beach. The patients will be given a card for the purpose of collecting medicines.

The Corporation has also garnered the support of voluntary agencies and organisations for procuring medicines. However, the local body will provide the necessary infrastructure. It plans to continue with the palliative programme when the system becomes fully operational in the coming months.

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