We Waited a Long Time for This Day!
For Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), the flagship of Pallium India, the 5th of September was a special and joyous day.
Hon. Minister for Health, Mr Adoor Prakash
The Palliative Care Clinic at Government Medical College, Trivandrum, was formally inaugurated on that day by the Hon. Minister for Health, Mr Adoor Prakash.
Many dignitaries including the Director of Medical Education and the Deputy Director of Health Services attended. Even more remarkable was the fact that the hall was full despite the medical students being on a week’s holiday! With that sort of enthusiasm for the project, we are bound to succeed.
The clinic has been on a trial run for a few months now, but it is official now!
It is run by the department of Community Medicine (led by Dr Vijayakumar) with the support of Pallium India. A doctor, a nurse, a social worker and volunteers from Pallium India attend the clinic which functions three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Three doctors from the department of Community Medicine have already completed palliative care training at TIPS and more of them plan to follow.
This is a large hospital where mostly poor people go to, and there is a vast sea of suffering there.
I was present there. The story of a girl who killed herself along with her cancer affected mother’s death said by Dr. Rajagopal was an eye opener for many..