Published on: June 1, 2021

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If you know someone in grief and in need of emotional support, please get them to call our free Sukh-Dukh Helpline: +91 759 4052 605

Sukh-Dukh, a helpline by Pallium India, provides counselling in eight Indian languages – Saraswathy Nagarajan – The Hindu – May 10, 2021

Hand-holding the ailing till the end – The Times of India – Jaya Menon – May 29, 2021

Virtual companionship for bereaved families affected by Covid-19 – Shainu Mohan – The New Indian Express – May 8, 2021

‘Death all around’: bereaved Indians search for solace amid pandemic as coronavirus rages on – South China Morning Post – Kalpana Sunder – May 31, 2021

It’s okay to grieve: How this mental health helpline is helping those who lost someone to COVID-19 – Edex Live – Prajanma Das – May 30, 2021

Finding a new way to mourn – Mint – Ekatha Ann John – May 23, 2021

Covid-19: Mental health helplines: Catering to needs of frontline workers – Rising Kashmir – May 16, 2021


Video of the Month

Click here to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZysYJy2X6zc

Subscribe to Pallium India’s youtube channel for more videos related to palliative care and our activities.

You can watch previous webinars and training sessions. as well as listen to caregivers, survivors and others sharing their experiences.

Click here to donate to Pallium India and lend a hand to our activities.

Please note! Bank details changed for foreign donations:
Account Name: Pallium India Trust
Bank: State Bank of India (code: 00691)
Branch: Delhi
Account No: 40098265669
IFSC Code: SBIN0000691
SWIFT Code:  SBININBB104


COVID-19 response over next 6-18 months critical, says Soumya Swaminathan

Predicting that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have subsequent waves as well, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organization, who has been maintaining a keen eye on the developments in India, says the efforts put in in the next 6-18 months will be most critical in battling the pandemic.

“A lot depends also on the evolution of the virus itself, the ability of vaccines to keep up with variants, and it also depends on the duration of protective immunity of vaccines. A lot of this is changing,” she says.

Read more >>


Don’t shun steroids

Dr Aju Mathew writes in The Week:

Majority of SARS-CoV2 infections self-resolve with just supportive medications like paracetamol and adequate rest. It is only a minority which progress into a stage where they require hospitalisation. There are only two effective treatment options that have proven beneficial in reducing chances of death from Covid-19—steroids and tocilizumab.

Read More >>


IAHPC Photography Contest 2021

The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) invites members to participate in the 2021 IAHPC Photo Contest. The deadline to submit your photos is August 31, 2021. The winners will be announced at the end of September. Click here to know more and to enter.


Upcoming Events

Check out all our upcoming events: https://palliumindia.org/events

For more information on any of these, write to: info@palliumindia.org

Follow us for palliative care news, views and updates – as & when they happen


Pallium India celebrated International Nurses Day

International Nurses’ Day is celebrated on May 12 every year to commemorate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This year’s theme was decided by International Nursing Association as: “A Voice to Lead – A Vision for Future Healthcare“.

In view of government advisories restricting mass gatherings while our country grapples with the second wave of Covid19, Pallium India celebrated the nurses’ day on the morning of May 12th at our premises, adhering to Covid-19 protocols. Pallium India’s nursing superintendent sister Geetha inaugurated the function by lighting the lamp. Following this, Pallium India’s nurses took the Nightingale Pledge.

An online webinar was organized on the same day from 5 PM IST to commemorate the day and to provide a platform for nurses to share their experiences. The program was attended by nurses, palliative care enthusiasts and well-wishers from around the world. Several luminaries attended the webinar including Dr. A. T Kora, Miss Gilly Burn, Ms Joan Marston, Ms Alice Stella Verginia, Ms Sandra Lywait and Mr Terrymize. Pallium India’s nursing officers Sridevi V S, Sajan, Reshma Sreekumar, Mini P. Nair and Ayana Ajithan spoke about their experiences in delivering care and comfort during these difficult times. The function was concluded by paying tribute to nurses who fought and fell on the frontlines fighting COVID-19.


Pallium India conducted 5-day online Volunteer Training Programs in May 2021. There were separate sessions in English and Malayalam. The sessions began at 5PM and went on till 7PM. There was active interaction from all the participants, and we received encouraging feedback on the program.

The topics covered were: Understanding palliative care and essential principles of palliative care, Need for home-based care and the different components of it, Importance of Psychosocial care and about compassionate community care, Effective empathetic communication with patient and family, Differentiate between good and poor communication and steps for effective communication, Different ways by which we can initiate community support, Role of community volunteers.

To know more about Pallium India’s upcoming trainings, follow us on social media.

Contact: +91 9746745502, info@palliumindia.org


My learnings from Palliative Care – a series: Let’s talk about death. What’s that?

How does acknowledging death and normalizing it help? It’s important because it is only then will we focus on improving our quality of life and the quality of death. Life is so unpredictable. One fine day, you could be told you have a life limiting illness. Only then do we start valuing each day and appreciating the things we took for granted. Do we want to wait for this to happen to us?

Pouruchisti Wadia, Associate Program Director, Romila Palliative Care at SNEHA, writes. Read More >>


A view from inside India’s crumbling health infrastructure

With or without support, health professionals march on, fighting survivor’s guilt and a crumbling system – Dr Satendra Singh writes. Read More >>

Applauding the ASHA for her contribution in COVID 19

All of us do recognize the contribution of doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff in fighting the pandemic, but somewhere we have missed out a very significant and imperative link that connects the community to the health system. Let us also give a headspace to those who are responsible for the last mile delivery- the ASHA workers. Read More >>

This panchayat in Kozhikode ensures COVID-19 vaccination for bed-ridden patients

Kodiyathur grama panchayat in Kozhikode district in Kerala has provided COVID-19 vaccination for over hundred bed-ridden patients at their homes. Panchayat authorities claimed that such an initiative was taken up for the first time in the State. Read More >>


Aarohan II – a giant leap for palliative care

“I got enlightened by this session and firmly believe that my endeavor to set up palliative care service will definitely get impetus. Thank you, Team Aarohan.” – Dr. Rakesh Nongthombam, Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, JNIMS, Imphal, Manipur

“All the faculties with deep insight imparted different topics in a lucid way and I was overwhelmed by the teaching and learning process. I am enlightened with a few most interesting topics like, Effective communication for stakeholders engagement and fund raising, The importance of communication in advocacy, Affecting change assessing landscape, Advance directives, Consideration at the end of life and Looking after yourself while affecting change.” – Pranab Basu, palliative care volunteer, West Bengal.

Read more about Aarohan II >>


What it feels like, to be a “Covid warrior”

“Many of my colleagues have collapsed working in PPE, if the reader is curious, I urge you to cover yourself in plastic sacks and put another over your head and seal it shut…” Read the touching and sad true story by Dr Shalini Miriam Ipe from the “war front”. Read more >>


Congratulations, Dr N S Raju and colleagues in Vizag

Age Care Foundation in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, is Pallium India’s fellow traveller. We are very glad to see that they have been given 4000 sq m land by the philanthropists Dr S V Adinarayana Rao and Dr R Sasi Prabha.

This is on 99 year lease @  One rupee per year!

We look forward to the opening of your new palliative care centre soon!


We’re Hiring


What is the most wonderful thing in the world?

Indira Madambath, volunteer of Pallium India, writes:

The great epic Mahabharatha describes the battery of questions put forward by Yamaraja to King Yudhishtra. The last question was, “What is the most wonderful thing in the world?”

The answer given by Yudhishtira years ago still holds good today, especially in these pandemic days: “Hundreds and thousands die every day, but still men make little preparedness to face this reality.”

Challenges and Choices for Patient, Carer and Professional at the End of Life: Living with Uncertainty’ by Catherine Proot and Michael Yorke is a must-read for all involved in palliative care and end-of-life care. Death is the only ultimate truth in this world, but this topic is not discussed in open parlour, maybe due to the uncertainties about life after death. We train our minds to believe that a known devil is better than an unknown one.

Read the complete review >>


PARTING SHOT

“This year, I am donating money to the Red Cross project in India to support COVID relief,” says Lilah Booth.

Lilah Booth is almost as far away from India as possible geographically. She lives in Kingston, Canada, some 13,500 kilometres away. But she covers that distance in no time with her heart, with her love, with her humanity.

A few years back Dr. Christopher Booth, an oncologist – he is now a honorary consultant (research) for Pallium India – and his wife Celeste Booth came to Trivandrum with their four children and spent three months here, Chris helping the Regional Cancer Centre and us in Pallium India, while the children soaked up the sun, the local culture and the local way of life.

That one trip must have expanded the world several times for the four children. Now, Lilah Booth is raising money to support India during this difficult period of the pandemic, through the Canadian Red Cross’s India COVID Response Appeal.

Read more >>


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