The government was willing to work with non-governmental organisations to expand community-based palliative care, said Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan on Saturday.
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He was speaking through video conference at the inaugural session of a State-level pain and palliative care conference titled ‘Compassionate Care Con 2020’ organised by RMD Pain and Palliative Care Trust in Madurai on Saturday. He emphasised that palliative care, which relieved patients from pain and offered support system for patients’ families, was still not known much among the public.
Around 7% of the population in Tamil Nadu required palliative care. It was estimated that 60% of the people who were dying would benefit from palliative care.
Explaining the need for palliative care, the Health Secretary said pain was the main reason most people sought medical care. But 80% of the people with severe pain did not receive adequate treatment. This showed the need for palliative care.
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Apart from institution-based palliative care, there was also community-based care system, which was a more financially-sustainable and socially-viable model. More number of NGOs must work with the government in extending community-based palliative care, he said.
Plea to doctors
Founder and Managing Trustee of RMD Pain and Palliative Care Trust Republica Sridhar said that in most cases doctors advised patients to choose palliative care only in the terminal stages. “Doctors must advise patients to go for palliative care as soon they find that the patient cannot be treated through curative care,” she said.
Rohini Sridhar, the Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Hospital (Madurai division), said palliative care was the need of the hour. K.S. Kirushna Kumar, Head, Radiation Oncology at Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, said many cancer patients needed palliative care.
Mohanasundaram, president, Tamil Nadu Palliative Care Society, also spoke.
The Hindu was the official media partner for the event.