2018 Palliative Care

Palliative Care Society, Imphal, Manipur

I had to look up the word “Palliative” when I was preparing to interview Dr. Jugindra Sorokhaibam General Surgeon at Shija Hospitals in Manipur, India as part of FindingTheVoices. I learnt about the team of Physicians, medical staffs, students getting together, volunteering, pledging financially for Palliative Care in Manipur going above and beyond taking their precious time off the weekends making home visits of the old, sick and near end. This is the first of it’s kind in Manipur, an initiative focusing on humane needs, an area ignored in a conflicted land. I came out of the interview feeling totally inspired on the power of this initiative in building the community together, bringing people closer together to face such hard times, a time where family members aren’t equipped on how to handle the medical as well as the emotional care and support.

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Mrs. Saroj Nalini Khomdram, my dear Ema (Mother) active volunteer for Palliative Care shared stories of the condition, the need for compassion from her weekend home visit experiences.

• Ema shared about how the team is carrying on out of their own expense without any complain or hesitation in supporting the people in need.
  Ema shared about the days there were stuck with transportation problem.
  Ema shared about the beautiful smile of grandmother when she gave socks for her bare feet.
• Ema shared about the tears everyone shed hearing a heartfelt poem written and read out by a young girl. The young girl wrote to God asking how long she has to live to be a burden to her mother who has to take care of her day and night.
• Ema shared about reading Urirei Madhabi to a bedridden young man who got paralyzed after an accident.
• Ema shared about a heartbroken father who lost his cool and said the unspeakable “Sikhradi …” as his bedridden son swore with pain.
• Then there is the bedridden grandmother who shared sadly that her grandchildren will duck at times as she is always asking for things to be done for her.
• …and many more…

Ema shared such stories she encountered which are priceless connecting human beings at the deepest level. It is my hope to create awareness and raise fund offering my paintings and prints of my paintings for Palliative Care Society, Imphal this season so that team of Palliative Care can reach to as many people as possible and be there for the sick and old.

I invite you to participate in this fundraising initiative and be generous with your contribution. And If you are in Manipur, I encourage you to consider volunteering for Palliative Care. 

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My deepest gratitude to each and everyone of you for supporting our fundraising initiative. Your contribution is going to help in getting painkiller drugs to give relief for someone in pain. Your contribution is going help in the operations effort to expand the outreach of Palliative Care team in making the old and sick feel that they are not alone. Your contribution and support means a lot. We have successfully reached the goal of raising INR 1,00,001 and have handed it over to Palliative Care, Manipur. Thagatchari, Thank you.