Psycho-oncology

Outpatient

Mehac started its Psycho-oncology service in conjunction with the Pain and Palliative Care clinic at the Medical College, Calicut, Kerala on the 18th of November, 2008. This is a weekly out patient service and patients with psychosocial needs are identified from amongst the Palliative care outpatients and referred to Mehac. A Psycho-oncology service was already in existence and Mehac initially reinforced and has now taken over the running of this service. Apart from direct clinical care, Mehac provides training and supervision to social workers, nurses, volunteers and other staff involved in the psychosocial work.

Inpatient

Mehac also provides an in-reach service to the Palliative care patients admitted to the Institute of Palliative Medicine, Calicut.

Community Psychiatry

Mehac has teamed up with the Institute of Palliative Medicine in Calicut, the Malappuram Initiative in Community Psychiatry and the Wayanad Initiative in Palliative Care, all of which are part of the successful community palliative care movement in Kerala.

Weekly outpatient clinics have been started in parts of Malappuram and Wayanad districts with the help of local partners. In two clinics in Wayanad, the focus is on serving the the tribal population. Clinical work and the training of volunteers have begun.

The first community clinic to implement the Mehac model started functioning on the 3rd of December, 2008 at Pulikkal in Malappuram district. Since then, another 11 clinics have gone on-stream in the 2 districts of Malappuram and Wayanad. By early May 2010, nearly 560 patients have registered, mostly people with chronic mental disorders. It is anticipated that most of these patients would require long term care with continuous input from Mehac and its local partners.

The 12 clinics are at:

Malappuram district

• Pulikkal, in association with Pulikkal Palliative Care Association
• Ponnani, in association with Shanthi Palliative Care Clinic
• Kondotty, in association with the Palliative Care Clinic, Nediyirippu
• Kunnumpuram, in association with the Kunnumpuram Pain and Palliative Care Society
• Areacode, in association with the Areacode Palliatve Care Clinic
• Vazhakkad, in association with the Vazhakkad Palliative Care Clinic
• Veliancode, in association with the Noble Palliative Care Unit, Veliancode

Wayanad district

• Muttil, in association with Vivekananda Hospital
• Kynatty, in association with Amritha Kripa Charitable Hospital
• Kalpetta, in association with Shanthi Pain & Palliative Care Clinic
• Kambalakkad, in association with the Sneham Palliative Care Clinic
• Ambalavayal, in association with the Ambalavayal Pain and Palliative Unit Clinic