National Rural
Health Mission is initiating a project aimed at the
development of community based care services for the bed
ridden, elderly, chronically and incurably ill people in the
state. This unique initiative is expected to have wide
positive implications in the care of these marginalised groups
of people in the state and also nationally. In Kerala, the new
project will be instrumental in channeling the energy and
resources of a large number of major players, both
governmental and nongovernmental in palliative care and public
health scene.
The palliative
care project that National rural Health Mission (Kerala) is
implementing in the state through Institute of Palliative
Medicine, assumes importance due to many reasons.
With a budget of
more than four crore rupees, this is the largest palliative
care project in India so far. This is also the only palliative
care project in NRHM in any state in India.
The Government
of Kerala has recently declared a palliative care policy
highlighting the concept of community based care and giving
guidelines for the development of services with community
participation for the incurably ill and bed ridden patients.
The new policy aims at providing palliative care to as many
needy as possible in the State. The policy which put forth
short term as well as long term objectives envisage the
guiding principle of home based care, palliative care as part
of general health care and adequate orientation of available
manpower and existing institutions in the heath care field.
The Government has made it clear that the governmental
machinery shall work in harmony with Community Based
Organization (CBOs), Non Governmental Organization (NGOs)
which have acquired training in delivery of palliative care.
In practical terms, the document aims at mobilising volunteers
locally, providing them with training in palliative care
empowering these trained groups to work with the health care
system. The Government also expects the Local Self Governments
to offer good support to the community volunteers in this
activity.
The new NRHM
Project is exactly in the same lines as the Government of
Keralas Palliative care policy and is expected to act as
the main implementing arm of this policy. The project, with
Institute of Palliative Medicine (the Training, Policy and
Research arm of the World Health Organisation Demonstration
Project in Palliative Care) as the nodal agency, aims at
awareness and capacity building in the general community,
health care professionals in government and private sector,
local self government officials and grass root level political
leaders. A series of demonstration projects in the background
of these awareness and training activities are expected to
facilitate the evolution of social movement in the care of the
incurably and terminally ill patients in the state, well
integrated to the existing health care system.
Highlights of
the project
To
train at least 300 volunteers in palliative care in each
district
To
conduct sensitisation programmes for 25% of all doctors,
nurses and other health / social welfare workers in the
state
At
least 150 doctors and 150 nurses in the state to
successfully complete Foundation Course in Palliative Care
At
least 50 more doctors and 50 more nurses in the state to
successfully complete six weeks training in palliative
care (Basic Certificate Course in Palliative Care).
To
develop more than 100 new community based palliative care
programmes with home care services in the state with
active participation of CBOs, LSGIs and local government
and other health care institutions
To
develop common bodies/platforms in at least 25% of the
LSGIs to coordinate the activities
To
develop at least four more training centres in the state
for advanced training in palliative care
