Palliative secondary-level care services will be extended to all community health centres (CHCs) in the State, Health Minister K. K. Shylaja has said.
At the secondary level, palliative care units are functioning in district and taluk hospitals with the help of the National Health Mission (NHM). A separate staff nurse, a doctor and physiotherapist have been appointed by the NHM for the same. The services offered include inpatient care, tracheostomy care, colostomy care and physiotherapy.
However, many chronically ill and bedridden patients who need secondary-level care and many others who need continuous physiotherapy have been finding it difficult to access care from district and taluk hospitals.
With the Centre accepting a proposal submitted by the State NHM in its annual Plan Implementation Programme, a physiotherapist and one staff nurse will now be made available in all 232 Community Health Centres for providing secondary-level palliative care nearer home to people.
Kerala thus becomes the first State in the country to reach secondary-level palliative care to rural areas. Plan funds have been allotted to improve the infrastructure and facilities in the CHCs, the Minister said.