THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bringing in clarity on community-based pain and palliative care projects undertaken by local bodies, the Decentralized Planning Division of the Kerala State Planning Board has given approval to a revised guideline on palliative care. The upgraded version that will come into effect in 2019-20 fiscal, includes streamlining of secondary level palliative care and home care. Kerala was the first in the country to come out with a palliative care policy in 2008.
“The local bodies are giving due importance to the pain and palliative care projects. Their interventions are based on a guideline issued by the Local Self Government Department in 2009. But as it has some defects it was decided to revise the same,” said an officer of KSPB.
According to the officer, in the revised guideline local bodies have been asked to provide a three-day skill/practical training session to those volunteers who are selected for home care.Also, the home care team has been directed to work closely with those medical team who are attending the patient at the hospital.
The home care team will also have to maintain a book in which they will have to record their house visits on a daily basis.“In the new guideline, the role of nurses and physiotherapists trained in palliative care has also been included.
The palliative management committee (PMC) that has been formed under each local body will have to ensure that the home care programme is being implemented successfully under its jurisdiction,” the officer said.
Separate agenda for palliative care
It has been found that for the self-evaluation of pain and palliative care projects in their respective areas, standing committees for health/education/welfare have also been asked to include palliative care as a separate agenda during their meetings.
The other major recommendation that the guideline put forwards is directing the district panchayats, municipalities, corporations and block panchayats to ensure better palliative care initiatives at health institutions that come under them.
Provisions have also been made to provide medicines to those voluntary organisations working in the palliative care sector via Kerala Medical Service Corporation Ltd. The allotment will be based on the validation by respective PMC.