Kerala - Alappuzha   

Alappuzha doctors show the way

ALAPPUZHA: At a time when doctors who teach in State-run medical colleges are drawing criticism for reasons other than medical, a group of doctors from the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, set an example by taking health care to the community.

Their three-year-old initiative, Sasneham (With Love), for geriatric care now owns a room near the Sree Krishna Temple, Ambalappuzha, where medical camps held on the last Friday of every month draws up to 170 patients. Earlier, the occasional one-day camps used to be held in various places in the Ambalappuzha block panchayat limits.

The initiative has support from the Community Medicine Department of the medical college, the panchayats and the Alappuzha municipality.

Sasneham, says R.S. Nisha, Associate Professor with the department, is the only such health-care initiative in the district. Though similar clinics are there in a couple of other districts, they are run in hospitals.

“The unique feature of Sasneham is that it is run independently and goes to the patients without the elderly having to come all the way to the hospital. It is also not restricted to allopathy, because we have ayurveda and naturopathy experts, among others, coming once in a while to help our patients,” Dr. Nisha says.

Regular check-ups, classes on diabetes and tips to tackle lifestyle and age-related ailments and visits by ophthalmologists, orthopaedics, physiotherapists and mental health experts are arranged.

“Many senior citizens require assistance to overcome the depression and loneliness that old age brings along. Though hospitals have geriatric wings, more personalised attention is required. That is what we offer here. They can also meet friends, form peer groups and do away with their dependency feelings,” she says.

Sasneham is now all set to go a step further. The doctors are planning to issue health cards, recording the health history and treatment details, to the senior citizens, in association with the pensioners’ union. A survey of senior citizens, recording their population, health status and economic details, will be conducted shortly in the Ambalappuzha region. This, Dr. Nisha says, will help in adopting a more planned approach to geriatric care.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Alappuzha doctors show the way
Tanker hits bike rider, overturns
LDF does not need PDP votes: CPI

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu