FIRST: KMC bags international recognition for its Palliative services

Udupi: The Kasturba Medical College and Hospital in Manipal is the first and only institute in India to get recognized as the International Reference Centre for Palliative and End of Life Care by the International Collaborative Coordinating Centre.

The hospital got its recognition based on its continued clinical work, national-level policies, guidelines and research in palliative and end of life care.

The International Collaborative Coordinating Centre is a Europe based organization with 22 member countries situated at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Kasturba Hospital Manipal has been internationally praised for its work in establishing COVID care plans for critically ill COVID patients during COVID times.

Kasturba Hospital Manipal is the first hospital in India to start a Critical Care Review Board (CCRB) and protocols for high-risk discharge against medical advice (DAMA). They also released the BLUE MAPLE procedure guideline document in 2019, which was adopted and developed by several institutes and organisations across India.

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Meanwhile, Dr M D Venkatesh vice-chancellor of MAHE Manipal told, "Sitting in the semi-urban city like Manipal and getting national or international recognition and award is not easy. With all these barriers, a team of palliative medicine and hospital did a wonderful job. So I congratulate the whole team on this achievement. The recognition enables Manipal to assume a vital role in the care of the terminally and critically ill patients in developing policies and procedural guidelines, quality assurance, advocacy, conducting education and training activities, research, and capacity building of other institutions in the delivery of palliative care. This recognition is a significant milestone in Kasturba Hospital's consistent excellence in clinical care."

Dr Sharath K Rao, Dean KMC, Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent and C G Muthana of Kasturba Hospital jointly received the certificate from Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor and Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice-chancellor of MAHE Manipal.

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On this occasion, Dr PLNG Rao, pro-vice-chancellor (Faculty of Health Sciences), Dr Venkatraya M Prabhu, pro-vice-chancellor (Health Sciences) and Dr Narayana Sabhahit, registrar of MAHE Manipal, and members of the department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care were present.

Dr Ballal told daijiworld while congratulating the team, "Kasturba Hospital, Manipal is the only hospital in India with an organised ICU Palliative Care discipline, which has led to Manipal taking the leadership role of ICU-Palliative Care Special Interest Group of the Asia Pacific region from 2022 onwards. The KMC Manipal is the first private medical college and only medical college in India to start MD Palliative Medicine."

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