The centre for palliative care, the first such full-fledged facility in Nagaland, which inaugurated in Chümoukedima on April 24. (Morung Photo)
A place for nursing and support for terminally ill and caregivers
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 24
Nagaland has now a fulltime facility exclusively for catering palliative care. The St Joseph Pain and Palliative Care Centre, the first such full-fledged centre in Nagaland, was inaugurated on April 24 by the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio.
An initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Kohima, in collaboration with the Medical Sisters of St Joseph, the centre was founded with the objective of providing nursing, care and support to people with terminal illnesses and their families.
The building complex for the centre is still to be completed but it has already started its services. Scheduled to complete construction in the next three months, it will have a residential capacity for 20 people and will also provide home-based care.
CM Rio termed the initiative as a “great achievement,” while stating that the Catholic Church in Nagaland has not only been at the forefront of education but also in providing health care, at affordable cost, even in the most interior places of Nagaland.
While Nagaland has three other palliative care units, he said that these are attached to the CIHSR in Dimapur, Dr Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital in Mokokchung and at the Naga Hospital in Kohima. More recently, another was opened at the Eden Medical Center, Dimapur for cancer patients, he added.
He said, “Palliative care is not only to relieve the suffering of the patients but also to comfort and support the families through difficult times. I am told that the centre intends to provide palliative service free of cost, for which I encourage all of us to come forward and partake in this charitable cause.”
The CM also noted the community-oriented initiative, would involve sensitizing and training community leaders, including church leaders and medical personnel “to clarify goals of care and provide symptom management, psycho-social, and spiritual support.” He also assured of governmental assistance to the Centre.
As a charitable establishment, the centre will have no set preconditions to avail its services. “There is no set procedure to get admitted here. Anyone who is in need, anyone who is not able to take care of herself/himself can come here,” said Father Chacko Karinthayil, Director, Shalom Rehabilitation Centre.
According to him, palliative care is not exactly new to Nagaland with hospitals already involved in it. He said, “This will be a place where we will be able to provide both institutionalised as well as home-based care for people, who are suffering from a terminal illness like cancer or people, who are bedridden, who may not have a cure for their illness.” He maintained that being terminally ill does not always imply getting hospitalized.
As a movement, he said that it depends on the goodwill of the people within the community. “We have not looked forward to any particular way of raising fund but we will be approaching people, who are willing to help us financially or by being volunteering and getting trained to take care of the ailing in their families.”
He added that the centre has trained caregivers, besides tying up with medical professionals for consultancy. At present, he informed that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the CIHSR.
