Kerala Ensures Care for All Bedridden Patients with Landmark Initiative

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move to guarantee proper care for all bedridden patients across the state, the Government of Kerala is launching the Universal Palliative Care Project and the ‘Kerala Care’ Palliative Network. The state-level inauguration will take place on Saturday, the 28th, at 4 PM at the Rajagiri School Auditorium in Kalamassery, Ernakulam. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will officially inaugurate the initiative.
Health Minister Veena George stated that the Universal Palliative Care Project is one of the most impactful interventions Kerala has undertaken in the field of palliative care. Palliative care is one of the ten key focus areas of the Nava Kerala Mission's second phase under the Ardram initiative. As part of this effort, a comprehensive Palliative Care Action Plan has been developed, leading to the creation of a state-wide Palliative Care Grid. The aim is to ensure that every bedridden patient receives structured, scientific, and compassionate care.
The ‘Kerala Care’ Palliative Grid has been developed under the leadership of the Kerala Digital University to coordinate palliative care services across the state. All voluntary organizations and community groups working in this field will be brought under the umbrella of the grid. The Local Self-Government Department is responsible for the preliminary registration of volunteer organizations, while the Health Department registers care providers. Currently, 1,043 institutions are part of the grid.
Volunteers willing to dedicate at least one hour a week to care for patients in need are also being integrated into the grid. They can register through the Sannadhasena portal (https://sannadhasena.kerala.gov.in/volunteerregistration) to become part of this initiative.
Registered volunteers will receive appropriate training. As of now, 7,765 volunteers have registered. All activities are monitored through the palliative care grid to ensure consistent, quality care for every bedridden patient in Kerala.