CARE FOR THE DYING: A STUDY OF COMMUNITY AND STATE ACTION IN PALLIATIVE CARE IN KERALA, INDIA

K S, Nishant and Majumdar, Anindita (2019) CARE FOR THE DYING: A STUDY OF COMMUNITY AND STATE ACTION IN PALLIATIVE CARE IN KERALA, INDIA. Masters thesis, Indian institute of technology Hyderabad.

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Abstract

Palliative care is defined as the care given to people who are either terminally or chronically ill. The focus of the care is on pain relief and improving the overall quality of life of the patient. And in a world witnessing large scale demographic shifts, palliative care has often come to the fore as an important area of medicine. At this juncture it is important to understand the different ways palliative care is carried out in several parts of the world and especially so in resource poor settings. Kerala, a state in India, has portrayed itself as one of the more successful ventures by highlighting its palliative care delivery through a mix of community and state action. NonGovernmental Organizations and Primary Health Centers make use of teams of volunteers and their networking capacities to deliver care to poorer households and connect them to medical professionals. Yet it is important how this takes place in praxis. It is the aim of this research to highlight the different forms of care that a volunteer driven palliative care in thought, imagination and on the ground. The thesis finally investigates the different morals that underpin these forms of care and how they come to oppose or strengthen other ideals of care.

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