Home care services for cancer patients in Goa Webindia123.com Mumbai | January 24, 2006 11:35:05 AM IST
Global Cancer Concern of India (GCCI) will launch home care services at Panaji for the benefit of cancer patients of Goa in association with the Goa Medical College from March 15. Addressing media persons here yesterday, Regional Head of GCCI P J Varghese said after having successfully implementing home care services in Mumbai since 2000 under the joint sponsorship of the Tata Memorial Centre and GCCI, similar services were launched at Pune and Nagpur last year. He said these services are benefiting a large number of patients. Dr M A Muckaden, Professor, Radiation Oncology of the Tata Hospital, said efforts were on to provide holistic care to the patients. Palliative care is 'delivered' where the person wants it to be. It can be provided in a hospital, a person's own home, a specialist in-patient hospice unit or nursing home. He said most patients wish to spend the last weeks of their life at home and as even transporting them to clinic regularly is cumbersome and expensive. The essence of "home based palliative care" is visiting and empowering the patient and the family members in their own homes, Dr Muckaden said. Two units of doctors, nurses and social workers visit the homes, depending on the medical urgency and priority. The services are provided to all needy terminal patients in the city and suburbs except on Sundays, he said. In order to raise funds, GCCI is presently holding a painting exhibition by renowned artist K P Mukundan. The exhibition which is on till February 6 at Mumbai Art gallery, suburban Andheri, is being held under the title 'Art for Global Cancer Concern'.(UNI)
