History
The Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences 'Deemed To Be University', in Karad, is located in Western Maharashtra, India. The University is accredited by NAAC 'A+' grade and has been conferred with ISO 9001:2015 certification. The constituent faculties of the University include medical, dental, physiotherapy, nursing, pharmacy and biotechnology departments offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the respective faculties. It also runs a Ph.D. programme and Post-Doctoral Fellowships in various subjects.
The teaching hospital KH&MRC (Krishna Hospital and Medical Research Centre) is a 1125 bedded multispecialty tertiary care hospital recognized by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH).
Profile
The Department of Oncology was established in 1996 with a separate 100 bed ward with designated intensive care facilities and specialist wards.
Its facilities and consultants include surgical oncology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, pain and palliative care, preventive oncology, genetics and molecular oncology, psycho oncology, nutrition, physiotherapy and rehabilitative services, as well as supportive departments such as radiology, and a blood bank with component therapies available.
The surgical oncology unit has four modular operation theaters which perform various major and supra-major surgeries, including palliative and emergency surgeries.
The radiation oncology department has a Linear accelerator with 3DCRT, IMRT, VMAT techniques, offering a significant number of patients palliative radiotherapy for symptomatic relief. It also has brachytherapy facilities.
The medical oncology service consists of daycare chemotherapy and a separate ward for inpatient chemotherapy and hematological malignancies. It handles various simple and complex chemotherapies, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, etc.
Other supportive units like radiology have a 3Tesla MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, X ray facilities and mammography. The physiotherapy unit has a separate oncology physiotherapy department with postgraduate courses.
Specialities
The palliative care units receive support from surgical, radiation and chemotherapy specializations for various palliative procedures. The department of psycho-oncology conducts regular clinics for patients and relatives. We offer oncology physiotherapy, which is a new specialization offered in very selected centres in India. We offer other supportive services for patients including rehabilitation units, a prosthesis unit, dental care, stoma services and nutritional advice, in addition to acute pain management procedures and nerve blocks.
Palliative and Supportive Care
The Palliative Care Unit registers around 80-100 patients monthly, out of
which 20-30 are registered for inpatient services and 15-20 are referred by various oncologic services. It offers pain medications including morphine and all types of palliative and supportive procedures.
The palliative care medicine department has a comprehensive home care team including a palliative care physician trained in palliative care, a registered nurse with experience in palliative care and a social worker. The palliative home care team has around 100 active patients on the list with 20-30 patient visits completed every month.
In addition, the palliative care unit participates in academic programs such as communication skill sessions, workshops, CMEs in palliative care for medical, nursing and physiotherapy students. It also conducts awareness and training in palliative care for Government doctors, nurses and doctors practising alternative medicine. The department has a one year Fellowship program in palliative care for international students, mainly from African countries.
Last update: July 2022
