Free palliative care reaching every nook and corner in Telangana
Before a few years ago, Telangana's terminally sick cancer patients from economically underprivileged sectors had just one choice for receiving palliative care: they could go to Hyderabad's government MNJ cancer Hospital. Due to the difficulties of travel and the lengthy waits at the cancer hospital, such patients frequently resorted to quit up after a few visits. The telangana government recently worked with nonprofit organisations to extend the vital palliative care facilities in all 33 districts after seeing the necessity to provide such pain management facilities at the grassroots level.
Along with offering palliative care at district hospitals, accredited social health activists and other qualified field-level healthcare professionals also offer home care services. Many people who are terminally sick are immobile and find it difficult to get to the closest public healthcare institution. As a consequence, skilled ASHA and palliative care professionals visit these patients at home and offer them palliative treatment. Both inpatient and outpatient palliative care facilities are offered at all 33 district hospitals.
To take care of the patients and daily operations, each palliative care centre has a doctor, five nurses, one physiotherapist, a driver, and five non-clinical staff members. For each free palliative care facility in telangana, the State government spends anywhere between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. The State government is also supplying mobile vans known as mobile home Care Units (MHCUs) to allow medical personnel to travel to the homes of the patients.
Along with offering palliative care at district hospitals, accredited social health activists and other qualified field-level healthcare professionals also offer home care services. Many people who are terminally sick are immobile and find it difficult to get to the closest public healthcare institution. As a consequence, skilled ASHA and palliative care professionals visit these patients at home and offer them palliative treatment. Both inpatient and outpatient palliative care facilities are offered at all 33 district hospitals.
To take care of the patients and daily operations, each palliative care centre has a doctor, five nurses, one physiotherapist, a driver, and five non-clinical staff members. For each free palliative care facility in telangana, the State government spends anywhere between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. The State government is also supplying mobile vans known as mobile home Care Units (MHCUs) to allow medical personnel to travel to the homes of the patients.