KOCHI: To address the phenomena of the growing elderly population and the migration of youths to greener pastures abroad, the Kerala state government has launched an innovative initiative to train school and college students in palliative care. The programme aims to promote student palliative care units in all educational institutions, fostering a culture of compassion and care among the youth.
As proposed in the revised state palliative care policy (2019), training sessions will be conducted for high school, higher secondary, and college students, including professional college students, with home visits as part of community outreach.
The policy also envisions training for the members of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Student Police Cadets, and the NSS.
According to Dr Bibin Gopal, nodal officer for palliative care with the Directorate of Health Services, Kerala, the action plan was prepared in 2023. “We have assigned primary health centres to organise awareness classes for students, especially NCC and NSS volunteers. Interested students will receive palliative care training and accompany health workers on sessions.”
The first phase, creating awareness among students, is expected to be completed by December this year. This initiative has the potential to create a compassionate and caring younger generation, addressing the needs of the elderly and vulnerable populations in Kerala.
Meanwhile, student volunteer groups and nursing students are being trained in palliative care as part of their credit system. “For some student volunteer groups, palliative care is part of their credit system. Also, several non-governmental organisations have been training students under the initiative ‘student palliative care’. Now the state government has also initiated a project. These initiatives aim to educate and inculcate the habit of caring for the elderly and make the lives of those who are struggling easier,” added Mathews Nampeli, state committee member and palliative care in charge with Aardram mission.
“Through the initiative, we aim to bring a change in the thought process of the young generations. With the growing elderly population in the state and most of them living alone at home, we need to be more empathetic. These parents should be supported, emotionally and psychologically as well. Palliative care training can help them to be more caring and empathetic,” added Dr Bibin.