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Caring to care...
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The first home nursing service in the State, started by the Indian Red Cross Society, celebrates its 16th anniversary on July 31.
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The demand for home nurses of the Indian Red Cross Society is increasing by the day, but the number of women opting to become one has steadily come down over the past few years. Some 10 years ago, the Kottayam centre of the Society used to train around 500 women a month, but now, it trains only 100 to 150 of them.
"These days, not many women come forward to work as home nurses. There was a time when we had a lot of postgraduates and graduates working at our centres. Now, we find it difficult to cater to the ever increasing demand," says K. T. Ouseph, honorary secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, Kottayam.
Started in July 1987, at Kottayam, the Red Cross Home Nurses and Employment Service runs a three-month training programme for women. A similar programme was flagged off at its city centre in the mid-90s. Today, there are over 24,000 home nurses working at various Red Cross centres across the country.
In Kerala, the home nursing centres of the Red Cross are located at the district and taluk levels.
"We were the first to provide home nursing service to the people. Queries kept pouring in and we knew this was an area that demanded immediate attention. It could also provide employment to a large number of women," explains Ouseph.
Training is provided to women from different parts of the country at the Kottayam centre. The initial three-month stay with a particular patient can, under certain circumstances, be extended up to six months, but not beyond that. Each home nurse is given a salary (around Rs. 2,000); it is higher for those working in other districts or outside the State. The Red Cross has a set of rules and regulations that is required to be followed by both the nurses and their employers.
Says P. Sheeja, a 30-year-old home nurse, who has been working with the Red Cross for the past four years, "I am married. I had a lot of financial problems and desperately needed a job, but didn't know what to do. Then I got to hear about the Red Cross from a neighbour. At times, the patients can truly be difficult. They scold us, no matter what we do for them. But it's all part of the job and we realise they are old and ill."
The basic qualification for the training programme was SSLC or its equivalent, but now, even those who have studied up to Classes seven or eight are considered. The home nurses could be anywhere between 18 and 50 years of age. A team comprising retired nurses, doctors from various branches of medicine, and physiotherapists lead the classes. The home nurses are also trained on how to communicate better.R. Suja and K. S. Sophia, both 19 years, have been working here for over a year. "We wanted a job and this seemed the best way out. We get a decent salary and can look after our family members. Since we took up the job, we have been looking after aged patients, especially those who are bed-ridden," they say.
Roy Thomas, public relations officer with the Indian Red Cross Society, Kottayam, says, "Every three months, the home nurses are permitted to go home for a few days. They are often assigned to work in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and even north Indian states."
G. Krishnamoorthy, former superintendent of Police, says, "My mother was in her late 80s when she fell seriously ill. Since all of us were working then, we had to employ home nurses from the Red Cross to look after her. The home nurses, who looked after my mother for about five years, were a great help."
Says K. Valsala (name changed), a home nurse. "There are a few employers who consider the aged a burden. Some people consider us as part of their family, while others mistreat us. We are forced to wash the clothes of the entire family, do the dishes, cook, and even sweep the rooms. Sometimes, we are not even given enough food. But, not all people are so. Some of them have been very kind to us."
"We make note of the complaints registered by both the nurses and the families of the patients. We look into the matter and take necessary action. No home nurse is allowed to accept gifts from the patients' family without informing the office. Our welfare officers visit the houses (where the nurses stay) twice a month, to ensure all is well," says Arumanoor Nirmalanandan, general secretary of the city chapter of the Indian Red Cross Society.
The tag of Red Cross imparts credibility to the work, Nirmalanandan points out. "Of late, many home nursing centres have mushroomed across the State. Media reports on the anti-social activities being perpetrated by some of these centres have alerted people. They have become very cautious."
Currently, about 800 home nurses are registered with the city centre.
Says B. Leelabai Amma, former tahsildar, says, "When my father was bed-ridden for more than a year, we had sought the help of the Red Cross home nurses. Six of them had stayed with us. Their commitment to the work and compassion for the patient were exemplary. The nurses, we felt, were part of our family. My father died in 1998. And the nurses left us soon after, but some of them still keep in touch."
S.S.
Photo: S. Gopakumar
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