What Is Karunalay

KARUNALAY
A Cancer Palliative Care Center under Shyam Oncology Foundation

The name KARUNALAY has been christened to convey the message of God’s kindness to the needy from His Abode. KARUNALAY is an attempt by Shyam Oncology Foundation to provide palliative treatment to Cancer patients. It is a specialized Center giving supportive care of a hospital along with the love of a home.

Our mission is

Project will be run under the charitable trust – Shyam Oncology Foundation and will be funded fully by donations / charity. This is a charitable body – registered on 30.11.2010 under Regn. No. E/19416/Ahmedabad.

We have started with 10 bedded Cancer Palliative Care Center and intend to expand to 50 bedded Center in future.
KARUNALAY is a service organization where no charges are levied and hence no private rooms. We encourage patients to stay in ward, to encourage community living. The care given is to make the patient as symptom free and comfortable as possible. Each bed in the ward can be curtained off for individual privacy and comfort, when needed. The needs of such patients are many i.e. medical, nursing, mental, social, spiritual and financial. Our care taker team consisting of doctors, nurses, counselors, volunteers and spiritual advisors offer “total” care to the patient.

Our Goal is to make the patients – “ Live and Enjoy Today –  Be Happy “. Quality of life, and not prolongation of life is the goal.

We provide relief from distressing symptoms like severe pain, breathing difficulty, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, cough, sleeplessness etc. Symptomatic care would be individualized to the needs of each patient to make him or her as comfortable as possible. The patient becomes a different person once he/she is free from the above symptoms and then can take care of themselves. We would then try to help them come to terms with their disease. Patient and family would then be at peace and accept the inevitable.

When the patient is pain and symptom free, we would encourage them to go home – provided the family is willing to look after them. Our doctors will prescribe pain or supportive medications on discharge as necessary.  Outpatient follow up care is also provided to patients who do not need admission, and for patients discharged from unit.

Patients can be referred by doctors, paramedical staff, social workers, or any member of society. If possible, details of their illness, treatment given, status of their Cancer needs to be filled in our Referral Form before he/she is evaluated by our team. Otherwise, our doctor will fill the details at time of first evaluation. Final decision to admit patient to the center would be taken by Shyam Oncology Foundation.

Admissions would be done during the working hours of the Center – 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Night admissions would generally be avoided, unless informed in advance.

It is best to bring patients to KARUNALAY when a decision has been taken that no further active Cancer treatment is possible /necessary. This gives us a chance to relieve their symptoms in time and make them more comfortable. It is advisable not to bring patients in their last moments, when they have few days to live, since there is very little that we can do to help them at that stage.

A terminally ill patient, who has no hope of recovery, will not benefit from life supporting gadgets like Respirator (Ventilator) / ICU care / Blood etc. We avoid these extreme measures, as they may prolong suffering without any purpose.

We encourage relatives to visit the patient as often as possible. We encourage one relative to stay with the patient for one or two days initially, to avoid patient feeling that he/she is abandoned.

Patients would be given food from the center, including patients with special needs. Many patients need frequent small feeds as they can not tolerate regular meals. All such concerns will also be taken care of.  Special food formulas would be used for tube feeding. Outside food would not be permitted in the Center.

Patients would be given clothes/uniform by the Center which would be used during their stay in the Center. They would be allowed to use their personal clothes – during any outing or extracurricular activity organized by the Center.
We provide various recreational facilities like games, TV, visit to gardens, music etc. for the patients. Major festivals like Diwali, Christmas, Holi etc. would also be celebrated.

The relatives of the patient are informed when the patient dies, if they are not present at the time of the death. The body of the deceased is given to relatives after completing required formalities. Provisional Death Certificate is provided. If relatives are not available, Center would make arrangements till family arrives.

KARUNALAY:
C/o Thakershy Charitable Trust Hospital
B/h Siddhi Vinayak Complex
Opp. Bimanagar,
Nr. Shivranjani
Ahmedabad – 380015.

Administrative Office:
C/o Shyam Oncology Foundation,
Room No. 402, Galaxy Mall,
Opp. Jhansi ki Rani BRTS Bus Stand,
Nr. Shivranjani, Ahmedabad – 380 015.