The Institute of Palliative Medicine is an education, training and research centre for

palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...

located in

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The institute trains health care professionals in palliative care and related medical disciplines. Through its connection with

Calicut Medical College Government Medical College, Kozhikode, also known as Calicut Medical College (CMC), is a school of medicine in Kozhikode (formerly Calicut) in the Indian state of Kerala. The college was established in 1957 as the second medical college in Kera ...

and other clinics in the state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, the institute supports between 4,500 and 5,000 patients per week. This institute is an organ of Pain and Palliative Care Society, Medical College, Calicut, which was founded in 1993.

History

The institute began as an outpatient unit at Government Medical College, Calicut in 1993. In 1999, the Pain and Palliative Care Society established the 'Neighbourhood Network in Palliative Care', aimed at increasing community participation in palliative care. In 2003, the Institute was shifted to a separate building for training, research and patient care. In 2008, this institute was recognized as a WHO collaborating centre in community participation in palliative care.

Mission

The Pain & Palliative Care Society believes that individuals and families coping with a life-threatening illness deserve efficient access to services that are designed to enhance their quality of life and enable them to receive care in the setting of their choice.

Services

The outpatient department of Institute of Palliative Medicine receives about 250 patients per week. The inpatient department has 30 beds and admits around 15 patients per week. All services provided at this institute, including food and accommodation are free of cost for all patients. There are home-based care facilities to meet patients at their residences from 9 am to 5 pm every day. The home-care wing reaches out to around 750 patients per week. Round-the-clock services are available for homecare to registered patients living in

city.

Recognition

In 1996 the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

conferred on this society, the title 'Demonstration Project' and it became their model to the developing world. WHO has since accredited the institute as a ''World Health Organization Collaborating Center'' (WHOCC).

Honours

Pain and Palliative Care Society, Kozhikode, has been chosen for a 'Person of the Year 2007' award by

Indiavision Indiavision was an Indian pay television news channel based at Kochi, Kerala, India. It broadcast in Malayalam. History Indiavision was launched on 14 July 2003. The network launched a second channel, YES Indiavision (Youth, Entertainment & Spo ...

, a Kerala-based Malayalam television channel. The honour is usually awarded to an outstanding individual. However this year the jury, headed by the distinguished writer

M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-I ...

, was unanimous in selecting Pain and Palliative Care Society (PPCS). This award was received by Dr Suresh Kumar, Mr. P. K. Ashok Kumar and Dr. M. R. Rajagopal, co-founders of PPCS along with Mr. T. Balan Nair, the present secretary of PPCS at a function in Thiruvananthapuram.

References

External links

Institute of Palliative Medicine

{{authority control Medical research institutes in India Palliative care