Odisha CM Launches District Palliative Care Programme

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a facility-based palliative care service for district level health institutions on Thursday.

The CM launched the District Palliative Care Programme through video conferencing with district collectors and chief district medical officers (CDMOs).from Lok Seva Bhawan here.

The CM said that the programme will play a significant role in realising the state government’s motto of “Sustha Odisha, Sukhi Odisha”.

Under the programme, several in-patient and out-patient services will be provided at the district health institutions, including Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela Government Hospital.

The in-patient services include free specialist consultation, training to the care-giver, free drugs and consumables, free physiotherapy, counselling, spiritual healing, emergency care services, nutrition support, patient follow-up, etc.

The out-patient services include regular consultation by trained medical staff (primary, secondary and tertiary health care services), training to the care-givers, free drugs and consumables, free physiotherapy services, counselling to patients and their families and referrals to higher health facilities  (palliative care centres).

It has been decided to develop district headquarters hospitals with appropriate infrastructure facilities for the palliative care programme. It has also been decided to create six-bedded palliative care units in each district headquarters hospitals to provide facility-based services.

The state government has provided Rs 10.25 lakh each to 10 districts for infrastructure development.

It has been decided that 39 trained medical officers and 42 staff nurses in palliative care will provide services at these centres in 30 district headquarters hospitals including RGH and Capital Hospital.

The induction and refresher training of medical officers and staff nurses and counsellors will be taken up regularly to increase their proficiency.

The CM said that the home-based palliative care in Nabaranapur district will start within the next two months and will be scaled up to all the districts.  Subsequently, palliative care services will also be available for terminally ill patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, hemiplegia, paralysis, HIV/AIDS etc.

Expressing happiness over the programme, adviser to the state government on cancer care Dr Dinesh Pendarkar said Odisha will soon find its glorious place in the global map of cancer care.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister unveiled the logo of palliative care for the branding of the facilities.

Among others, Health minister Naba Kishore Das and Health secretary PK Meherda were present.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had launched the District Cancer Care Programme in May 2017.  Till date, more than 30,000 cancer patients have received consultation and 14,000 patients have received chemotherapy cycles in the district daycare cancer chemotherapy centres under this initiative.

The state government is providing 86 types of anti-cancer drugs free of cost and all investigations are being provided free to all cancer patients under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).