Palliative Care in Hyderabad

Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society's goal is to provide palliative and end of life care to patients suffering from end stages of cancer and similar life limiting diseases by efficient running of our 24 bed hospice, a home based palliative care program in the city of Hyderabad and environs, a dedicated pediatric palliativ care program and the community outreach program in the rural setup. We have succeeded in our endeavor.  On an average about 65 patients per month are being admitted and treated in the hospice. On any given day 200 live patients are being enrolled in home care. Pediatric palliative care program caters to about 15-20 children with cancer at MNJ Governmnet cancer hosptial. We are catering to 190 patients with variuos incurable diseases in the community by visiting them thrice a week by the palliative care team.

Some of your successes and challenges

Palliative care and end of life care is one of the most challenging fields in medical science. Unlike normal medical treatment provided in various facilities where the treatment is given with a hope of curing the ailment, palliative care is provided for those patients for whom there is no further curative treatment. It is extremely difficult to quantify and measure the outcome of such care. The philosophy of palliative care, centers around providing a holistic concept of care which also varies from patient to patient depending on various factors like progression of disease, literacy level, socio-economic conditions, family dynamics etc and includes psychosocial support, rehabilitation along with medical care.

Our team consisting of trained doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors and other staff have, over the years, mastered the technique of breaking through the barriers of the patients and their caregivers and helping them to cope with the disease and consequences there on at various palliative care delivery. The successes can best me measured by the feedback which we receive from the care givers and the patients.

An example that best illustrates the success of your program(s) and services.

 There are stories- a plenty- which poignantly describe the kind of service provided by our Hospice. One such story is:

 An emaciated female aged about 40 years was brought to the Government Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad and abandoned in the premises. The patient who was semi-clad with bones sticking out and half conscious was referred to our hospice for treatment and care. She was transported in our ambulance to the hospice where the doctor and nurses washed and cleaned her, including removal of maggots from her wound around the breast.  She was properly clothed and fed. It appeared that, she was an advanced stage cancer patient (of the breast) who was deprived of  proper treatment and neglected by her family. After a week of loving care, proper diet and medical treatment, the patient recovered from her traumatic condition and was able to provide details of her family.  Our staff then traced out the family and obtained an affidavit from them which authorized us to look after till the end and also perform the funeral rights in the event of her death. She spent about two months in our hospice where she was given quality end of life care and finally passed of peacefully, without pain, and most importantly in dignity. Her funeral rights were also performed by our hospice staff, again, with full respect and dignity to the departed soul.

This story exemplifies the kind of service we are provide for the poor populace who cannot afford to get quality palliative and end of life care under the prevalent health care system.

Links:

• How-to-deal-with-death-at-home