DEAN Foundation, a non-profit medical charitable Trust, with its Head Office in Kilpauk, Chennai, was established on 9th march 1998 by Deepa Muthaiya. Recently in a meet with CSR partners SBI Foundation, at their Karamadai branch, they brought together beneficiaries, community members, and other stakeholders, and showcased the positive impact of ‘SBI Anugraha’ in 17 Panchayats of Karamadai Block. The event was held under the leadership of Trustee Vikram H. Kalkura, and the event brought many like-minded dignitaries to share insights on the transformation in the quality of life of patients and their families as a result of compassionate care. Many beneficiaries were emotional as they looked back on their plight before the SBI Anugraha Medical Team stepped into their lives, especially those living in remote and inaccessible areas of Karamadai Block.
Jagannath Sahoo, President & COO, of SBI Foundation, said that the amount spent on Palliative Care is ‘fulfilling’ as the Medical Team addresses the emotional aspects of patients and makes their families emotionally strong.
Rajaram Chavan, Senior Manager, of SBI Foundation, said that , in India, every year, 1 million new cancer cases are reported. 80% are beyond curative treatment. palliative care reaches only 1% of those requiring end-of-life care. He endorsed the need for more and more Centres to offer Palliative Care to meet this enormous need.
Dr. P. Jayaraman, Chief Civil Surgeon, Mettupalayam Government Hospital who proactively refers patients to DEAN Foundation said that ever since its inception in Karamadai, since 2017, DEAN Foundation has been wiping tears of many. He played a recording of a patient who was extremely moved by the prompt service provided by DEAN’s Medical Team and the wheelchair provided to her bedridden husband.
Sukumaran, a Social Worker actively engaged in helping DEAN, create awareness about Palliative Care, said it was the ‘Hope’ that the DEAN Foundation offers at the patients’ doorstep that translates into a better quality of life for them and their families.
Dr. Venkatesan emphasized on ‘Total Pain’ addressed in Palliative Care and highlighted DEAN Foundation’s journey over 26 years. He mentioned that DEAN was instrumental in amending the Tamil Nadu Narcotic Drug Rules, 1985, within 6 months, in collaboration with the Dept. of Excise and Drugs Control, Tamil Nadu Govt., enabling easy access to morphine for medical personnel in the remotest corners of Tamil Nadu. The presence of the DEAN Foundation in the Children’s Hospital, Egmore, and in the Thiruppukuzhy Upgraded PHC was also mentioned.
Dr. Jaykumar, Principal, Christ the King Engineering College, Dr. Seralathan, Chief Medical Officer, Perianaickenpalayam Govt. Hospital, .Poornima Rangaraj, Maruthur Panchayat President and her husband, Rangaraj, ex-President, Maruthur Panchayat, Dr. Jaykumar, HOD Computer Applications, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science and wife, C. Bhuvaneswari, Asst. Prof. in Computer Science, United College of Arts and Science, were the other dignitaries who graced the occasion with their presence.
Beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to both the DEAN Foundation and SBI Foundation. They fervently hoped that Project SBI Anugraha would continue, reaching out to many more patients in more blocks of Coimbatore District.
SBI Foundation applauded DEAN Foundation’s dedication to palliative care and was happy that they were able to reach out to those with Palliative Care needs in the Karamadai Community through SBI Anugraha. They assured the DEAN Foundation of their support and underscored their commitment to supporting persons and families facing serious, life-limiting illnesses.
