THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: People from financially weaker sections of society, the bedridden and senior citizens with chronic illnesses continue to be the most suffering lot due to the lockdown. To ensure they receive necessary healthcare facilities and other essential services, the Thanal Palliative Care units by the city corporation have been providing door-to-door healthcare services and providing the specific kind of medical treatment they require.
Ten Thanal Palliative Care units spread across 100 wards in the district have been catering to the needs of more than 4,370 people in dire need of help. A daily timetable is prepared to determine the frequency of patient visits who require treatment. The team includes a health coordinator and nurses under the health officer along with a few other volunteers. A National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) nurse also accompanies the palliative care team. Those who require further specialised treatment are taken either to the General Hospital or Medical College Hospital.
Mayor K Sreekumar said that Rs 3 crore has been allotted for the Thanal Palliative Care project. “There are many bedridden and elderly patients with chronic illnesses in the city who are being provided with home services, wheelchairs and waterbeds by the corporation with the help of the palliative care units. These people are the ones who need more care and support during a crisis like this. We are ensuring that they get all the necessary healthcare facilities and essential commodities during the lockdown,” he said.
“There are a few patients who need to be checked once in a week or twice in a month. Besides this, there are emergency cases who require hospital visits once a week or twice a month. During the visits, basic needs such as catheter change, wound dressing and checking blood sugar levels of the patients need to be checked regularly. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the palliative care unit teams are visiting each patient’s house and providing treatment.
Ten vehicles have been specifically provided for the palliative care facility by the city corporation,” said Shaji M S, coordinator of the Thanal Palliative Care. Besides treatment and medicines, about 100 food kits have also been distributed to economically disadvantaged families.The mayor also said that once the lockdown is lifted and schools resume, notebooks and uniforms will be distributed to the children from the financially weaker sections of the society. Like previous years, Onam kits will also be distributed.