Kerala - Kozhikode   

Order on palliative care raises hopes in patients

R. Madhavan Nair

SHRC seeks action-taken report from Government within 30 days

KOZHIKODE: Much is expected from the Health Ministry by volunteers and doctors involved in palliative care as it tries to provide a response to an order by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on giving such care to patients suffering pain caused by diseases such as cancer.

The commission has sought an action-taken report from the State Government within 30 days.

Chairman of the commission V.P. Mohan Kumar, in the order on June 14, directed the Government to take steps to include palliative medicine in the curriculum of nursing and undergraduate medical students; give training in palliative care to all medical staff in Government and private hospitals; set up a pain and palliative-care hospital in every panchayat; and provide enough medicines for relieving pain.

Palliative care deals with providing medical relief from pain for patients suffering from diseases such as cancer. Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts have a network of palliative care centres, in which doctors and other volunteers provide free palliative care to these patients. Their work in this regard is now being supported by a few local bodies such as the Corporation of Kozhikode.

Palliative-care volunteers and doctors cite the social relevance of the commission's order, which is based on two sets of petitions: one from Subair, a cancer patient residing in Chevayur in Kozhikode, and the other from Suresh Kumar, director, Institute of Palliative Medicine, of the Kozhikode Government medical college.

The petitioners had appealed to the commission to ensure palliative care in Government hospitals.

Dr. Suresh Kumar said the commission's directive to initiate steps to give training in palliative care to all medical and nursing staff in the Government sector would, if implemented, have an immediate, positive impact in patient care. The Government would be able to do so with practically no financial implications.

The Government's active participation in palliative care is becoming more important since most countries are facing a rapid rise in chronic and incurable diseases. They are currently the major cause of death among adults in these countries and the toll is projected to increase by 17 per cent in the next 10 years.

It is found that nearly 80 per cent of chronic disease deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries such as India. In India, chronic diseases account for 53 per cent of all deaths and 44 per cent of disability-adjusted life-years lost in 2005.

Long-term care for these patients is emerging as a major healthcare issue in India and elsewhere.

Steps taken by the State Government in addressing these issues, in line with the directives of the commission, can set an example for the rest of the country.

Since most of the patients with chronic diseases approach the primary-care physician for medical support, it is important that doctors and nurses in the Government sector are given training to update their knowledge and skills in this area. This will be of benefit to thousands of patients in the State.

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