Palliative care facilities across Kerala to be integrated, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan

The functioning of all palliative care facilities in the State will be coordinated, it was decided at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

All elderly and chronically bed-ridden patients in the State, without any discrimination or distinctions, would benefit when the palliative care facilities in the State are brought together, Mr. Vijayan said at the meeting held here on Friday.

The Local Self-Government department will take the lead in formulating and guiding the scheme, while the departments of Health and Social Justice will also join the efforts. Mr. Vijayan said that all persons in the State who require palliative care services should receive it, regardless of their socio-economic strata or APL/BPL divide.

There are several palliative care agencies across the State, including those which are functioning under the departments of Health, Social Justice and Local Self-Government. Several voluntary agencies as well as individual volunteers are working in the area of palliative care. All these agencies and individuals should be brought together and their work coordinated under a single scheme, the Chief Minister suggested.

Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan has been tasked with the formulation of a guideline and plan for bringing together all palliative care facilities in the State. District Collectors and heads of local bodies will take the lead in coordinating the facilities at regional level.

All palliative care agencies and volunteers will need to be registered under the respective local bodies. Appellate facilities will be arranged in case there are complaints regarding the registration. Training will be given to all palliative care volunteers and nurses.

The scheme as envisaged by the government will be explained at the grassroots by holding meetings with heads of local bodies. Meetings would also be held with representatives of various political parties and major charitable organisations and philanthropists to explain the project.

Ministers K.N. Balagopal, M.B. Rajesh, Veena George, R. Bindu, Ms. Muraleedharan, additional chief secretaries Puneet Kumar and Rajan Khobragade, Chief Minister’s chief principal secretary K.M. Abraham and senior officials were present at the meeting.

Published - November 29, 2024 09:59 pm IST