KING EDWARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
SETH GORDHANDAS SUNDERDAS MEDICAL COLLEGE
बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिका रुग्णालय
The Social Service Department of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital of the Bombay Municipal Corporation was started with the appointment of two trained medical social workers in September, 1954 – expanding to 16 MSWs by 1994, working under the supervision of the Preventive & Social Medicine Department. The last four decades of social work at KEM Hospital has established the need for qualified trained social workers as an integral part of effective medical care.
On World Health day, 7th April 1994, the Social Service Department of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, surfaced as an independent department with Ms. Daksha Javeri, as the its head. The strength of MSWs has increased from sixteen to twenty – catering services to 54 Medical/Surgical Units of KEM Hospital.
The multifaceted role of a professional medical social worker is generally not well recognised amongst health care personnel. With the help of case study, group therapy, community work and social research, it has been possible to enhance effective prompt and needy medical care in the hospital and after care in the community. The complimentary service of a medical social worker today aims at prevention of diseases, preservation and the promotion of mental/physical health of people in general. Nevertheless, it also intends to underline the importance of ” MEDICAL SOCIAL SERVICE ” is an “ALL TIME NEED” in health disease.
Professional social work is concerned with interaction between people with their social environment and the ability of people to accomplish their tasks, alleviate distress or realize their aspirations and values. When a patient is affected by a medical problems, it influences his family and his social network. In other words, the illness cannot be treated in isolation. In India, the family is very closed knit. So, culturally the emphasis is on the family, and not on the individual alone. Today, the scientific approach of social work interventions offers tremendous scope to define and design the health care needs to help the sick and disabled people.
Increasing industrialization and urbanization has weakened the family structure in many ways. The disjointed family system has seen the birth of nuclear families. Needless to say that the much needed psychological, emotional, economic and social support to an ailing individual has become the cornerstone of social work intervention by the medical social worker. With the infinite teething problems at the time of inception and further on, we have struggled to put our best foot forward to overcome most of them and impart timely services. Today, we are happy and content to play a pivotal role in patient care.
Name | Designation |
1)Dr.Smt.Sadhana Bhatkhande | HOD(I/C) |
2) Shri. Shambhudeo Dalvi | CDO |
3) Shri. Rajesh Kamble | CDO |
4) Shri. Subhash Salvei | CDO |
5) Shri. Vijay Javlekar | CDO |
6) Shri. Prakash Sawant | CDO |
7) Dr. Smt. Uma Jadhav | CDO |
8) Shri. Dadaso Sonwalkar | CDO |
9) Smt. Rupali Gujar | CDO |
10) Smt. Ashwini Patil | CDO |
11) Shri. Deepak Shingane | CDO |
12) Shri. Vasant Sutar | CDO |
13) Smt. Sarla Ladhe | CDO |
14) Shri. Vijaykumar Rathod | CDO |
15) Shri. Chandrashekhar Koli | CDO |
On an average, about 8000 new patients along with their families are given assistance by the Social Service Department, every year.
Donations, approximately to the tune of Rs.5,72,63,836 was arranged by the Social Service Department from April 2015 to October 2015, for the purpose of providing medical aid, surgical expenses for kidney transplant, Heart surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Inplants, Prosthesis, investigations like MRI, CT Scan, special Blood investigation etc. for the patients of KEM Hospital.
Supportive :
Rehabilitation :
Preventive :
Promotive :
Recreational :
Emergency :
In April 2015 –
a) Prepared banner of the Social Service Deptt.
b) On the occasion of WHO Day , health education cum exhibition on WHO theme was organized for patients, thier relatives and staff of various OPDs of KEM Hospital.
In May 2015 – Two programs were organized simultaneously. –
a) Health exhibition cum awareness talk on “Organ Donation” followed by organ donation song by transplant patient of KEM Hospital (In casualty).
b) Inaugural function of 25 stretcher trolleys and 16 unfolding wheel chairs arranged through donation of an amount of Rs.2 lakhs for tiding over the crisis in Casualty of KEM wherein for above 2 programs Guest of Honor was The Director Dr.Smt.Nagda and Dean Dr.Supe. trustees, donors, patients, and their relatives attended the function.
In June 2015 –
Two programs on organ donation cum awareness talk with help of exhibition organized at
a) Ortho.OPD and various OPDs. For patients and their relatives and various categories of staff.
b) In Naigaon Community Wherein BDD Chawl residents and health workers of the community were covered.
In July 2015 –
On the occasion of WHO Day for the “Elderly”, the social service department organized the “Elderly Abuse” talk for Geriatric OPD patients, relatives, and staff.
In August 2015 –
a) 20 unfolding wheelchairs arranged through donation costing Rs.2 lakhs for Casualty dept.
b) Many new donors have been tapped who have started giving donations to patients of KEM.
Visits :
Educational :
Participation in Teaching Programmes :
Seminar/Workshop :
Publication :
For the first time a Handbook on ” MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK” published by Social Service Department of KEM Hospital. The handbook is used as a text by the teaching institutes of Social work; Institute for Hospital Management; Bombay Municipal Corporation for the purpose of policy making for Professional Social Workers; as role model by Voluntary organizations.
In April 2015 –
As per need of time – First in-service training program organized for development of staff of SSD on “Organ Donation” Wherein expert speakers were invited, with a view to update CDOs, to conduct health exhibition cum awareness talk on Organ Donation in various OPDs of KEM Hospital.
In July 2015 –
Inaugural function of Trupti – a place for relatives to eat was organized, S.S.deptt, got the place renovated through donation , and , started special service, for First time in Kem of providing free breakfast to the 200 relative of indoor patients on regular basis everyday morning between 7 and 8 a.m to start with through donation. During the function Guest of Honor was The Director Dr.Smt.Nagada and Dean Dr.Supe. Trustees, donors, relatives of patients. & various staff attended the function.
Considering the need of time, place and people, Daksha Javeri, Head of Social Service Department along with two other Medico Social Workers have started HIV/AIDS counselling to the patients and their relatives.
HIV counselling involves the counsellors to help the patient talk about his/her feelings and to explore areas that are not easily spoken about. It means speaking with each client about death and dying, drinking/drug habits, speaking with some about prostitution, homophobia, abortion, lack of medical resources, cultural values, and religious and spiritual beliefs, and it means grappling with such issues as racism, sexism, injustice, poverty, children’s and women’s rights. Most of these topics evoke intense emotions for those discussing them.
It is the goal of counsellor to offer pre and post test counselling and partner notification, that promotes medical management, risk reduction and personal responsibility, that is consistent with the Social Service Department of KEM Hospital.
The various sections of the department include :
Patients are referred to the Social Service Department by Medical Professionals :-