Odisha CM launches Palliative Care in all district hospitals

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday launched Palliative Care Programme in all the district headquarter hospitals of the state.

The District Palliative Care Programme (DPCP) facility will be available in all district headquarter hospitals and Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela Government Hospital.

"Palliative Care Programme will play a significant role in realisation of the motto of our government 'Sustha Odisha, Sukhi Odisha (Healthy Odisha, Happy Odisha)," Patnaik said at the launch of the DPCP at Lok Seva Bhawan through video conferencing with district collectors and Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs).

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness.

Under the programme, several in-patient services will be provided. The in-patient service includes free specialist consultation, training to caregiver, free drugs and consumables, free physiotherapy counselling, spiritual healing, emergency care service, nutrition support and patient follow up.

The out-patient service will include regular consultation by trained medical staff (primary, secondary and tertiary health care service), training to caregivers, free drugs and consumables, free physiotherapy service counselling to patients and family, referral to higher health facilities.

"It has been decided to start home-based palliative care in Nabarangpur district within the next two months, which will be scaled up to all the districts. Subsequently, palliative care service will be available for terminally ill patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases, stroke, cardiovascular disease, hemiplegia, paralysis, HIV/AIDS," Patnaik said