COMMUNITY HELATHCARE..NEED OF THE HOUR!! Swathi Kantamani Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Natco Trust

by Samiksha 

Indian ranking on a global healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index is at  145 amongst 195 countries , lower than neighboring Bangladesh and even sub-Saharan Sudan and Equatorial Guinea, while Iceland ,Norway and Netherlands take the first top 3 positions , while China is at 48 and US at 29  position !

The only way to provide palliative care , an interdisciplinary approach to specialized medical and nursing care for people with life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress at any stage of illness  to a huge number of people in need in India is through community participation, which can be achieved by improving the awareness of the people about palliative care.

Achieving community participation in health-related activities has remained a challenge for health programs in India. Although Kerala has exhibited unique standards of community participation in providing and managing palliative care services through neighborhood network of palliative care, the same has yet not been replicated in the rest of India. High levels of awareness of the need and motivation among community volunteers for providing palliative care are required. Such community mobilization is possible through health awareness campaigns using various methods of health education such as short films, street plays, hand-outs, and medical camps. 

Strategies that improve access to clinical preventive services (such as screening and counseling), community-level activities, and appropriate medical treatment have been shown to reduce and prevent disease in communities. Collaborations between clinical, community, and public health organizations offer a win-win scenario for participating organizations, clinical teams, and patients.

With an effective clinical-community

·  Patients get more help in changing unhealthy behaviors.

· Clinicians get help in offering services to patients that they cannot provide themselves.

· Community programs get help in connecting with clients for whom their services were designed.

Community health services cover 'cradle-to-grave' services that many of us take for granted. They provide a wide range of care, from supporting patients to manage long-term conditions, to treating those who are seriously ill with complex conditions. Most community healthcare takes place in people's homes.

Health services consist of medical professionals, organizations and ancillary health care workers who provide medical care to those in need. Health services serve patients, families, communities, and populations. They cover emergency, preventative, rehabilitative, long-term, hospital, diagnostic, primary, palliative, and home care. These services are centered around making health care accessible, high quality, and patient-centered. Many different types of care and providers are necessary in order to offer successful health services. Health services cover many different types of medical issues. Many people think of primary care, outpatient care, and emergency care when they need an illness managed or are generally not feeling well. However, there are more health services that are dedicated to certain illnesses or issues. However, there are more health services that are dedicated to certain illnesses or issues (repeated twice). These include

·     Timely assistance to support the needy

·      Reaching out to enhance the well-being of people

·      To support various hospitals in the form of                         infrastructural aid and assistance.

·         Construction of OPD blocks

·         Dental care

·         Child care

·         Pharmaceutical care

·         Transportation

We at Natco Trust are committed to enhance the health and well being of the targeted communities. Our activities work to improve the health seeking behavior of the communities regarding nutritious food, mother and child health, communicable diseases, preventive mechanisms through community based health services and health awareness. As a part of our referral services, our 11 counselors in 6 major Govt. Hospitals reach out to 5 lakh patients annually guiding and counsel rural patients and help them avail healthcare services.