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Namah Code Krishna

death, depending on the clinical branch and emotional support to patients and treating all
duration of clinical practice (3). patients with compassion. The spiritual care
tenor aims to provide patients with access to
Death does not have only a visible component, spiritual support, and has been perceived
i.e. biological demise; it also has social, cultural, of as a vital factor in fostering the patient’s
religious and spiritual connotations, which dignity and supporting the culturally driven
describe the reality of death from different wishes of patients and their families in end-
perspectives. Almost all religions describe of-life situations (4,5).
death both as an event and a process. Almost
all medical professionals view death as a Code Krishna: driving philosophy and
defeat and avoid exploring the phenomenon elements
as a process. If healthcare professionals were
better sensitised to aspects of the natural, Code Krishna was designed to establish a
inevitable occurrence of death and, therefore, protocol that (i) sensitises the treating team to
the care of the dying, it would have important the need to address the grief of the relatives of
implications for counselling. deceased patients; (ii) expresses empathy and
gives loving care to the bereaved family; (iii)
Since the process of dying and death fall in an extends homage to the departed in consonance
area where medical treatment comes to an end, with the family’s cultural, religious and spiritual
the incorporation of the spiritual dimension is beliefs regarding “death, dying and beyond”;
of the utmost relevance. While adding the and (iv) symbolises institutional commitment
term “spiritual dimension” in its definition to whole-person care and healing.
of health in 1968, the World Health Assembly
mentioned that this dimension pertains to Code Krishna is a practice aimed at offering
social beliefs, customs, traditions, rituals, the aggrieved family emotional support in a
religion and culture, and enables peoples culturally and spiritually appropriate manner.
to develop and maintain a positive attitude The treating team is to pay its respects and
towards health. It would be very useful to homage to the departed soul in the critical
create an awareness of various religious/ care unit itself, where the patient dies. The
spiritual convictions among the treating team, “outward” or “visible” components of the
and for medical facilities to incorporate a code practice include the following: members of
of practice that respects these convictions. the treating team assemble at the bedside of
the patient who has expired; team members
An analysis of the contexts of care is crucial and patient’s relatives offer floral tributes
to the fulfilment of the expectations of the to the deceased; and a prayer is recited /
society we serve during terminal events. The played according to the family’s religious faith,
concept of care tenor, defined as the attitudes following a few minutes of meditative silence.
and behaviours of those interacting with the The “inward”, “non-visible” or implicit
patient, includes the physical, emotional as components of the practice are: showing
well as spiritual care tenors. The physical care respect for the deceased, attempting to share
tenor is aimed at enhancing physical comfort, the bereaved family’s grief, and creating a
and the emotional care tenor at providing solemn environment and a “silent space”

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