SUMUM to extend home care facilities to elderly

Bhubaneswar: SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM), the city’s multi super-speciality quaternary care hospital, has plans to extend home care facilities to geriatric patients.

This was disclosed by Brig. (Dr.) Biraj Mohan Mishra, Chief of Medical Services of the hospital, at a program organised to mark the International Day for Older Persons in the hospital on October 1.

Brig. (Dr.) Mishra said the United Nations had declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the decade of healthy ageing. There has been a global effort to improve the lives of the older population, he said. The awareness and academic program was specially organised for doctors, nurses and other staff members.

SUMUM has a dedicated geriatric department which aimed at providing exclusive elderly care offering specially designed health check up packages for geriatric care.

Dr. P.K.Panda, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said that the pattern of geriatric care giving was different from the normal care giving procedure.

Dr. Purna Chandra Das, Senior Consultant in Medicine and Geriatrics, said the geriatric department had treated around 1000 elderly patients since its inception in February this year. Prof. (Dr.) Srikanta Kumar Dhar, Senior Consultant, General Medicine, spoke about ‘Bone Health in Elderly: Its impact on functionality’ while Dr. Anand Mishra, Senior Consultant, Critical Care Medicine, spoke on ‘Delirium in Elderly in Critical Care Settings: Challenges in Diagnosis and Management.’

Dr. Sammya Bhowmick, Regional Medical Adviser, GSK Vaccine, threw light on ‘Vaccination in Elderly.’

Dr. Swetapadma Dash, Chief Executive Officer of SUMUM, who shared her vision for the hospital’s future of geriatric care, said the hospital was deeply committed to ensure that the elderly received the care, respect and support they deserved.

“Our geriatric department not only addresses their medical needs but also focuses on their overall well being,” she said adding “we aim to adopt a comprehensive approach to enrich the quality of life of the elderly.”