Manish kumar
Bhubaneswar: The paucity of palliative care units has severely affected the thousands of cancer patients in the state and their families.
Palliative care units, which aim to help cancer patients and their families face the trauma of terminal illnesses and help reduce pain in the final stages of illness, are widespread in states such as Kerala and. However, there is a dearth of such units in the state. As such, people involved in the treatment of those who are terminally ill have urged that more such facilities should be established across the state.
“When it comes to palliative care in Orissa there is hardly any solution. One should see how states such as Kerala have tackled the issue. With the involvement of the state government, palliative care has been made accessible to people in a large part of the state. Palliative care units have a very powerful impact on the health and emotional wellbeing of the patients and their relatives,” said Dr Kripasindhu Panda, a leading cancer specialist from Cuttack, ahead of World Cancer Day 2016 Thursday.
In the state, palliative care for terminally ill patients is provided by the Cuttack-based government-run Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre. “There are 50 beds dedicated to palliative care in our hospital which have been running for almost one decade. Under this unit we offer facilities such as pain management through drugs and counseling to help them cope with the trauma and live a life of confidence,” said Dr Lalitendu Sarangi, the director of the hospital.
Orissa POST Is yet to receive a reply to the RTI application filed December 29 with the state health department on the state government’s plans for ensuring palliative care for terminally ill patients.
There are ambition plans to establish palliative care units in every district but no tangible change is visible on the ground, according to sources in the state health department.
Often some voluntary organisations collaborate with hospitals or set up their own centres for rehabilitation of patients, according to experts in the field of cancer care. However, this is a work of charity and not a mainstream part of the cancer curative treatment cycle.
“Often such activities, which are more charitable nature, are undertaken by charitable bodies as these are not a major part of cancer treatment,” said AMRI Hospitals, Bhubaneswar vice-chairman Salil Mohanty. PNN
