Palliative care in humanitarian crisis – flood relief and rehabilitation work
After the initial flurry of activity, emotional responses and a lot of public sentiments, the social reaction to the suffering of the million Keralites affected by the floods in August 2018 seems to be on the wane. But not on the part of Pallium India, we assure you.
Pallium India, in collaboration with the local community, supports relief work in the flood-affected areas of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. There are different individual and institution based support systems energizing the team to deliver proper care and support to the needy.
We have reached out to 225 people; many with serious health related suffering have been provided with all possible services such as distribution of physical aids, medical support and other psycho-social support.
Our team comprising of Mr Babu Abraham, Mr Lithin Abraham, Ms Gifty (medical and psychiatry social workers), Ms Shameema (Palliative care nurse) and Ms Vyshnavi V.K ( Project Officer) is doing remarkable work on the ground, to reach more people who are in need.
This work could not have been possible without the support of several generous, kind-hearted donors and volunteers who readily came forward the moment we asked for assistance. We thank you all, and promise you that we will continue to do everything we can, to help the needy.
Major Activities of the month
- Conducted palliative care need assessment survey in different wards of Chenganoor and Pandanad panchayaths of Alappuzha district.
- Connecting the local needs and patients’ details to the local government bodies to ensure action.
- Regular house visits and follow-ups by the field work team
- Review meeting held at Taluk hospital, Ranni (Pathanamthitta) with the palliative nurses.
- Conducted a session on Palliative care for the Panchayat members of Ranni Panchayat.
- Provided adequate support in patient care including bed bath and wound dressing.
- Provided essential medicine support (including preventive medicines such as doxycycline, ORS etc) to the patients who are facing different health issues.
- Support given to a family to shift them from Pathanamthitta to Trivandrum. Made all the possible arrangements for their child’s education in Trivandrum.
- Provided support for house modification to one person
- Pallium India social workers and palliative care nurse visited and assessed the health situation of each ward in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts with the support of all the available recourses in the community level.(ASHA workers, PHC palliative care nurses, ward members, panchayath members and palliative care initiatives of Pathanmathitta and alapuzha districts)
- Gave wheelchairs to four people.
- Provided Electro larynx (voice box) to a person in Thrissur who had lost his when his house was inundated in the Kerala floods.
More power to you and hope you will continue helping people