Success-Stories-on-Health-Sector

Covering 169 panchayats in a population of around
4.2 lakhs in the UG PHCs -The patient load, needing
palliative care services vary between 200-300 patients
ProbleM stateMent
large number of bed-bound people with noncommunicable
diseases in the community have poor
A
access to health-care, and when available, the care may
not be appropriate. The services to elders are the State
obligations under “The Maintenance and Welfare of
Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007” and in the “National
Policy on Older Persons”.
PrograMMe DescriPtion
Home care Services
Home service includes hydration, dressing, enema,
ascitis tapping, maggot removal, pressure sore dressing,
management with homemade diapers, sponge bath, eye
care, oral care with mint mouthwash etc. These are to be
provided by a team of personnel adopting proper protocol
for clinical treatment to give a dignified living standard
prior to the end of the life.
Hospice type of Service in cHc/Ug PHc (30 Bedded)
Patients unable to be managed at home require
hospitalisation for inter-disciplinary consultation services
and are admitted in the NGO-run hospital or at the
UG PHC.
Home care, hospital-based palliative care or out-patients’
care all must go hand-in-hand and complement each
other.
Measureable Output
1. The expected level of home care is 2 visits per patient
per month.
2. Drugs and dressing by health worker?? times per
month.
3. One visit by doctor per month.
4. Number of patients selected for interventions,
number added thereafter and deletion of dead and
migrant.
The project was initiated on February 2012 with the
support of NRHM in one block of each of the districts
Kancheepuram, trichy, tiruvallur and Villupuram,
covering a population of around 4.2 lakhs. The NGO will
train the health worker VHN in different approaches to
different persons in her area.
PrograMMe outcoMes
In a block population of 1 lakh, generally 250 – 300 cases
require palliative care. To know the patient’s level of
comfort, a patient satisfaction survey was conducted by
the NGO.
iMPleMenting Partners
Sudharsana, RMD Palliative care and M/s. Deepa Muthaiha
& Scope.
financial investMents
Our experience in the pilot study shows that Rs. 20/- is
required per patient for home care for drugs, dressings
and consumables without overheads and travel cost.
scalability
TN has already established NPCDCS in all the districts.
It is proposed to establish hospice type of palliative care
services in 10 DHQ with home and it is planned to expand
it to the entire State.
conclusions/lessons learnt
The established centres are well accepted by the family
members and the patients. In a few years time we can
expect to see a visible change in the mindset of family
members regarding care for elders in their family.
Indirectly, instances of the elders roaming as destitutes
and beggars are likely to get reduced. Gradual withdrawal
of the NGO with community-based volunteers leading the
services is expected.
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