RAIPUR, Dec 18 TO PROVIDE better healthcare facilities to the patients of car diovascular, cancer, chronic res piratory diseases, and neuro logical illnesses, Chhattisgarh Department of Health and Family Welfare has started the function of palliative care (PC) in entire State, but still it has failed to provide any relief to the patients suffering from these dis eases in entire State so far. Patients of these ailments face difficulties owing to poor accessibility to these centres. In fact, in many districts, patients and their families are still unaware of this health scheme of the department. It may be mentioned here that, Palliative Care (PC) is most commonly needs for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and neurological illnesses. Apart from clinical support, doctors as well as physiotherapists and nurses of this centre do home tours of these patients and help them by providing them medicines, exercise and treatment procedures.

 

In terms of last-stage cancer and paralysis patients, PCs prove an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threat ening illness. In Chhattisgarh, only 5% patients of these ailments have access to PCs in different districts of the State. At present, out of 7.8 lakh confirmed patients of above ailments, only 39500 patients have been registered with PCs to get treatment and healthcare services of these cen tres. In fact, some national organisations have criticised the PC facilities of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar. It is said that there are various barriers to the poor delivery of palliative care in Chhattisgarh, including an inequitable distri bution of services and poor geo graphic access to health centres.

 

For instance in Chhattisgarh, in districts of Bastar and Surguja division, PCs are situated only in urban parts and therefore patients of rural and remote areas are facing lots of hardships due to longest medical travel time of 2 to 4 hours for reaching these centres. Dr Iqbal Siddiqui, PC special ist in Dhamtari district said that in many districts of the State, access to palliative care remains extremely poor and therefore, patients and their families avoid to visit these centres. As per the figures of health departments, the coverage of PCs was worse in rural areas with only 9 per cent of the population within 30 minutes and in remaining centres patients travel 90 to 120 minutes to reach these centres.

 

In urban areas too, 50 per cent of the patients travel 45 minutes to reach cen tres and the remaining ones travel 60 to 75 minutes for reaching these centres. Dr Smita Dewangan, Deputy Director and In-charge of Palliative Care in Chhattisgarh stated that from 2022, the department has started training programmes to make PCs bet ter. In last one year, the care has trained over 100 doctors, physiotherapists and nurses to treat patients under PCs. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, gram panchayats and NGos also support this scheme.