Welcome to Amala Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr. Betsy Thomas
MBBS,MD, DNB, MRCOG , MICOG

Amala Helpline

Director : +91 487 2304100
MedicalCollege:+91 487 2304116
NursingCollege:+91 487 2304070
Hospital(off):+91 487 2304000

E - Mail

info@amalaims.org
director@amalaims.org
amalamedicalcollege@gmail.com

You are here :

Home

Medical Social Work


	Medical social work

	Overview:
	Medical Social Worker plays a unique role in the hospital community, by being an important link between the patients and the health care team- comprising of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, and there by providing comprehensive health care. Our vision is to provide total approach to healing by integrating physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of life. Medical social workers assess psychological functioning of the patients and families and intervene as necessary. Intervention may include, connecting patients and families to necessary resources and support in the community, providing psychotherapy, supportive counselling, grief counselling and helping patients to expand and strengthen their network of social support.

Services:

The department provides a range of supportive services to patients, families and those affected by illness and hospitalization. Medical social workers are posted in almost all departments of the medical college and they assess the patients independently and also as part of the team and offer appropriate services. They include:

Psychosocial Assessment:

Psychosocial assessment includes assessment of patient’s social, emotional, and environmental circumstances. It helps the medical social workers to assess the impact of illness on patient or his /her family and plan appropriate support.

Information/Health Education:

Medical social workers provide health education to the patients and bystanders about the disease, treatment and prevention.

Counselling:

Some of the patients or their relatives need in depth counselling and emotional support to help them over come, or, if not, to accept their problem. The counselling is focused on adjustment and coping strategies in relation to life crisis such as serious illness/trauma or bereavement.

Crisis intervention:

Medical social workers provide crisis intervention especially in case of medical emergencies, admission to intensive care, and in situations such as sudden death of patients.

Group work:

Forms homogenous and heterogeneous groups of patients and bystanders, and conducts group work to improve their coping capacity, to educate about illness and treatment, to provide an opportunity for mutual sharing and ventilation of feelings, and to provide recreation.

Networking:

Networks with different governmental and nongovernmental organizations to mobilize resources for the benefit of poor patients.

Other Activities:

Arogyajalakam:

Arogyajalakam, which means window of knowledge, is a project under taken by social work department. Every month, awareness classes are conducted on relevant topics for the patients and public by experts in the fields.

Community outreach programmes:

Conduct free medical camps for the early detection and prevention of diseases in the community level Provide health education at schools, panchayaths and local bodies and religious institutions.Conducts rallies, exhibitions and other methods of propaganda to raise public awareness about health and social issues.

Training:

Provides training to social work students of various universities and organises workshops and seminars in and out side the campus on a regular basis

National conference:

The department Conducts Annual National Conference on medical social work. The theme of the National Conference in 2010 was An out look on Medical Social Work and in 2011, it is Medical Social Work, a field in transition; bringing together the ideology, theory, and practice.

List of non teaching staff:

	NAME	DEPARTMENT
	Fr. Thomas vazhakkala CMI	Social Work Coordinator
	John Paul	HOD, Social Work, Oncology.
	Ms. Titha Thomas	Pulmonology, Gastroenterology
	Anjali K.B	General Surgery
	Ms. Remya Sunil	General Medicine, Orthopedics
	Mr.Subin V.P	Dermatology and Nephrology

	NAME	DEPARTMENT
	Ms. Kavya Kishor C.	Obstetrics & Gynaecology
	Ms. Sheenamol V.K	Pain & Palliative
	Ms. Amie Jose	Paediatrics
	Mr. Titto Sunny	General Medicine, Orthopedics

Amala Medical College l Amala College of Nursing l Amala School of Nursing l Amala Ayurveda l Amala Research Centre lAmala Cancer Hospital