The Hindu Business Line : SUT to introduce hospice concept in Thiruvananthapuram

THE Thiruvananthapuram-based SUT Super Speciality Hospitals intends to introduce the `hospice' concept to the capital city as an adjunct to the SUT Oncology Institute, which is fast nearing completion.

Hospice is a concept of caring derived from medieval times, symbolising a place where travellers, pilgrims and the sick, wounded or dying could find rest and comfort. The contemporary hospice offers a comprehensive programme of care to patients and families facing a life threatening illness. It is primarily a concept of care, not a specific place of care.

Hospice emphasises palliative rather than curative treatment; quality rather than quantity of life. The dying is comforted.

Dr Bharatchandran, Managing Director, SUT Hospitals, and Dr M. Krishnan Nair, Director, SUT Oncology Institute, told Business Line that a string of cottages would be set up at a cost of Rs 5 lakh each as part of the hospice facility. Special consultative meetings with experts in the field were going on to finalise the implementation and management of the programme.

Hospice care is provided to patients who have a limited life expectancy. Although most hospice patients are cancer patients, they accept anyone regardless of age or type of illness. These patients have also made a decision to spend their last months at home or in a homelike setting.

The SUT Oncology Institute would be established and run by the Dr K. N. Pai Heart Foundation, a charitable trust floated for carrying out philanthropic activities.

This cancer hospital, that offers advanced facilities for chemotherapy, surgical oncology and ration treatment, is coming up fast over 25 acres of land at Vattappara in the outskirts. It is estimated that cancer affects more than 30,000 people every year in the State. Currently available facilities have a capacity to treat only 60 per cent of the patients.

The hospice concept is not entirely new to Kerala. The Calicut Group initiative in palliative care is a well-known model in which palliative care was started as an outpatient activity and slowly developed as a network.

The Calicut Group also initiated the Neighbourhood Network Programme in Palliative Care (NNPC) involving local community volunteers in Malappuram district. The programme teaches and empowers the basics of palliative care management.

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