Mayur Mahajan
To provide health care & support to the elderly people above the age of 65 years residing at Corporation/Municipal Areas in the Kerala state, the Kerala Social Security Mission (social justice department, Kerala) has started and implements Vayomithram Scheme for old age people. Under this project, government mainly provides free medicines through mobile clinics, Palliative care, and Helpdesk services to the old age people. This project is firstly started in Kollam and Trivandrum Corporation and extended to 12 district headquarters in the financial years of 2011-12 and two new projects are started in the financial year of 2013-14. There is the total number of 25 projects is implemented in all over the state. In the recent fiscal year, the Kerala government also decided to start 9 more projects in Marad (Ernakulam), Manjeri, Kottakkal (Malappuram), Vadakara (Calicut), and Chalakkudy (Thrissur) municipality’s area in Kerala. Vayomithram Scheme provides many services to the old age people like Mobile clinic service, Palliative care service, Help Desk services etc. The main objective of the schemes to provide free health care to the old age people
Services provided under the Vayomithram Scheme in Kerala:
- Mobile clinic service: Vayomithram provides medicines free of cost with the help of mobile clinics in the ward basis area. There are no economic criteria for availing the service. Each mobile unit comprises of Medical Officer, Staff Nurse and Junior Public Health Nurse ( JPHN)
- Palliative care service: This service intends to provide palliative care for the bedridden patients in the project area. Specially trained nurses and JPHN’s are available for the service
- Help Desk: Vayomithram co-ordinators provide help desk service to the needy old age persons in the area. The old age people can avail the help of the vayomithram offices in Kerala
- Other services:
- Special Medical Camps are conducted in project area (eye camp etc)
- Special entertainment programmes like Sallapam, Snehayathra were conducted mainly for the destitute persons in the old age home
- Sponsorship programmes were conducted with the help of NGO’s, Institutions in the area
- Conducted special day programmes (Related to health and welfare) in the area
- Counseling service provided by vayomithram co-ordinators with the help of reference of doctors from mobile clinics
- Active involvement of Vayomithram in Social issues related to old age people in the area (Rehabilitation etc)
Eligibility for Vayomithram Scheme:
- Applicant should be resident of Kerala state
- Senior citizens above 65 years of age are eligible to get free services under Vayomithram Scheme
Contact Details:
- Executive Director, Kerala Social Security Mission, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012
- E-mail: socialsecuritymission@gmail.com
References & Details:
- For more details about Vayomithram Scheme visit: http://www.socialsecuritymission.gov.in/index.php/vayomithram1
