Care Plus - a registered charitable NGO - has been working in association with the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Trivandrum, since June 2003. They have been doing commendable work in the area of Homebased Palliative Care for poor patients registered with RCC who are later unable to travel and come to the Centre’s OP for treatment.
I also understand that Care Plus is attending to several patients who cannot come over to RCC, at the perepheral clinics they are conducting at - Attingal, Nedumangad, Neyyattinkara and Kattakada.
Their concern and compassion for the poor patients is reflected in their other key activities such as - extending financial help for the education of the home care patient children, rehabilitation of patient’s spouses, and giving food kits for Onam and Xmas.
Although our institution has registered vast growth over the past decade, the regular increase in the patients reaching the centre has added to our limitations. It is in this area that organizations such as Care Plus have played a very important role.
I am confident that Care Plus will continue to extend their valuable service to the poor patients reaching RCC just as over the decade and half they have been associating with our Institution.
It was around 4.30 PM one evening, when I was preparing to pack up and lock my door when a patient who was being discharged from the Palliative Care Ward, politely smiled, as he was being wheeled .He requested to speak to me. He did, and showed me a discharge summary where it was written ‘ Refer for Home Care- Care Plus’ . ‘What a relief, most of my fears, anxieties, and apprehensions are gone’ he said and his face lighted up’ . ‘It is so rare to be assured of been seen at home’ he said his eyes moist with gratitude.
This is only of the brief stories which are very rare these days. Each patient we refer from the Division of Palliative Medicine to Care Plus have their unique stories of gratitude. Many bereaved children or spouses have been rehabilitated. Many children whom I have seen growing up have studied and have been employed or married
Taking care to the door step of the beleaguered cancer patient is the ultimate gesture of care, concern and compassion. Those who are poor or sick to travel are seen at their homes. Besides this the peripheral clinics that the ‘Care Plus’ conducts and free medicines given are noteworthy. Ascitic tap, ie draining fluid from the abdomen of distressed patients in their home setting is to be highly appreciated. I presented what all procedures ‘Care Plus’ does in the home setting in several foreign countries, and many were amazed.
Financial help which the ‘Care Plus’ gives is another highly laudable gesture. To me ‘Care Plus’ team has the talent in their brain, truth in lips, courage in blood and Compassion in their heart’. As the Head of Division of Palliative Medicine and having associated with ‘Care Plus’ for nearly a decade, I can vouch for their transparency and truth they exhibit and trust they enjoy
‘We make a living by what we get; we make a ‘Life’ by what we give’ Sir Winston Churchill
Dr Cherian Koshy, MS,M.Ch (Plastic Surgery)
Head of Division,
Palliative Medicine,
Regional Cancer Centre,
Trivandrum