KOCHI: While the country is slowly waking up to the concept of ‘palliative care’, the students of KMEA Engineering College, Edathala, have gone miles ahead with setting up an organised unit to take care of the terminally ill patients.
According to the field experts, the effort is highly laudable as other states are yet to have full-fledged units, barring a few metros.
The students’ palliative care unit will have an ambulance of its own. It’s a first of the sort venture, not only in the state but in the whole country.
A couple of years ago, when a few of the NSS volunteers at the KMEA Engineering College decided to take training in first aid and resuscitation techniques to help their own students, little did they know they would soon be ushered into an untrodden path.
“Now, with almost 100 volunteers, the unit is going to be launched in the middle of January. The volunteers, including 10 teaching and non-teaching staff, have already been trained by professionals, with the backing of IMA,” said Sabith Ummer, assistant professor, Mechanical department of the college.
Though the unit is yet to make an official launch, the students and staff have already started carrying out activities.
“With the help of a survey done by ‘Thanal’, a palliative care society, we have identified patients living near our college. Now, we are going to extend the survey into the whole panchayat,” said Sabith Ummer.
The volunteers are set to visit the patients once a week and provide assistance in medication and dressing of wounds.
The volunteers have, however, been split into 10 groups with a team leader, assisted by a staff from the college. As part of their work, two male and two female volunteers from the team accompanied by a staff will frequent the patients in their houses once a week.
“Students from all branches are included in the team. They could then find more people in need of the care, especially from their areas. They will not, however, lose attendance on those days,” said Adv K A Jaleel, secretary of the college.
For Kuloodh K A, a volunteer and a final year electronics and communication student, it is an eye-opener. “It has given us a different perspective, which, otherwise, wouldn’t ever have,” said Kuloodh. When boys helped the patients in difficult tasks such as changing the water beds etc., we girls tried to strike a conversation with the patients, she said.
Dr G Mohan, medical officer, Department of Palliative Care, Ernakulam General hospital, called it a noble act, and said that they have been trying to pass on this message to the students who have been visiting them.
According to Dr Shakti Prasad, chief physiotherapist, Alpha Pain Clinic, the message would spread through the students. “They could convey the message to their juniors to continue their efforts. They could convey to their parents as well,” he said, adding that such efforts should be lauded as many are yet to grasp the true meaning of palliative care.
The college is also planning to have a tie up with medical shops to distribute free medicines to the needy, said Jaleel, the college secretary.