NHM workshop

IMPHAL, Nov 24 : A two-day workshop on bereave- ment companion support was opened today at Hotel Classic Grande under the aegis of the Directorate of Health Services, NHM Manipur’s State Palliative Cell and Institute of Palliative Medicine, Calicut.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, Health Services Director Dr N Hemantakumar called upon all stakeholders to work collectively to bring out a separate palliative care model for Manipur based on the palliative care model of Kerala.
It is a fact that all men and women are mortals.
Despite knowing this fact, people mourn and live with pain and sorrow when someone near and dear to them dies, Dr Hemantakumar said. When someone dies, family members, relatives, neighbours and friends mourn the death. Care-givers have big roles during this time of pain, sorrow and suffering, he said.
He said that the State-level workshop on bereavement companion support being held for the first time in the NorthEast region will clearly  define the roles of care-givers at the time of bereavement.
He appealed to each and every individual to accept the task of giving bereavement companion support to bereaved families at the time  of loss of near and dear ones.
He then appealed to all stakeholders to work out a palliative care model of Manipur with the help of the palliative care model of Kerala.
The Health Director said that the Health Department has been working hard to install advanced equipment  and introduce new technologies at Government hospitals  with the primary objective of reducing medical expenses.
The department has been working to raise the number of ICU beds over the ICU beds available at RIMS and JNIMS.
At present, there are 160 ICU beds in the State and 7000 ICU patients were treated in hospitals during the last three years, he said.
Palliative Care, State Nodal Officer, Dr L Tilkeshwari said that they have been providing palliative care service for the last 10 years, and bereavement companion support is being taken up as a part of palliative care.
As a tradition, friends and relatives visit a family when the family loses one of its members. At such times, the visitors need to understand the pain and sorrow of the bereaved family and they must provide support to the bereaved family, she said. The inaugural session of the workshop was presided over by Family Welfare Director Dr N Bino.
Manipur AIDS Control Society Ombudsman Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang, IPM Calicut Academic Consultant Mohd Saifu PT and Md Abdul Nazir, Critical Care specialist from the UK were also seated on the dais as guests of honour.