November 2021
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Dear friends,
Pallium India family celebrated World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on October 9, 2021 with an online get-together of patients, caregivers, family members, volunteers, staff and well-wishers.
Mr Blessy, Film Director, and actor Ms Seema G Nair were the chief guests. Pallium India chairman Dr M R Rajagopal delivered the keynote address. Mr Manoj G.S, CEO of Pallium India welcomed everyone to the event. Dr Sunil Kumar M M, Additional Director of Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS) announced the winners of the scholarships instituted by Mr PM Kuriakose and Mrs Annamma Kuriakose. Cine Artist Mr Vinu Mohan also participated in the event.
This was followed by cultural programs by the family members of the people receiving palliative care. Everyone participated enthusiastically. Mr Babu Abraham, Head-Social Engagement expressed thanks to everyone for being part of the event and for being a part of Pallium India family.
Read more about the event and other programs on that day >>
WHO releases resources on assessment of palliative care and quality
Worldwide only about 12% of palliative care need is being met for patients and families living with life-threatening disease.
Just ahead of this year’s World Hospice and Palliative Care day, World Health Organization (WHO) released a new technical report titled: Assessing the development of palliative care worldwide: a set of actionable indicators
This is a long-awaited set of 18 palliative care indicators that can be used at the national level to measure development of palliative care.
Palliative Care providers worldwide are encouraged to promote these indicators to governments, and to report them to WHO to improve monitoring of palliative care and its inclusion in Universal Health Coverage.
Pallium India’s Chairman, Dr. M. R. Rajagopal, and Head – Policy & Strategic Partnerships, Smriti Rana, were part of this group of experts representing LMICs.
Negative effects of modern healthcare
Modern medicine has kept most of us healthy, but modern medicine has been unable to dispel the negative effects of modern ‘healthcare’. Among the four major problems in healthcare today, is first and foremost, the indifference to treating pain and suffering. Today’s healthcare system in India just does not treat pain and suffering.
Dr M R Rajagopal writes in The Billion Press on World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, October 9, 2021
PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore launches
“Santham” palliative care service
PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore launched “Santham”, a dedicated palliative & hospice care service, on Oct 9, 2021, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. Pallium India is proud to have been a part of this activity.
Pallium India’s Head – Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Smriti Rana, who was present at the launch, writes:
We first had the joy of collaborating with Dr. Balaji and the Coimbatore Cancer Foundation team in 2018.
A few seeds were sown then, and we became happy co-gardeners from that day on.
On the 9th of October 2021, I spent World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with him, watching vision come to life.
PSG Hospitals inaugurated ‘Santham’, which means Peace, their 40-bedded palliative care and hospice unit in the presence of Managing Trustee Mr. L. Gopalakrishnan, Director Dr. Bhuvaneswaran, PSG Alumni and President of the wonderful Shanti Ashram Dr. Kezevinu Aram, several key personal from PSG and medical and nursing students. It was a special privilege to be present on behalf of Pallium India.
Purpose, Meaning and a New Awakening
Dr. Balaji Naidu, Managing Trustee, Coimbatore Cancer Foundation, Project Director – Oncology, PSG Hospitals, writes:
We had just finished inaugurating the Department of Palliative Care and Hospice at PSG Hospitals – a 40-bedded unit for people serious health related suffering.
This was a new venture in a long list of events for the institution and for me personally. The event went off like clockwork, followed by many gratifying comments and compliments.
I was basking in the feeling of accomplishment and happiness at a job well done.
Walking out of the hall, I bumped into one of the people who had been part of the team who managed to complete the renovation of the hospital wing in record time. This particular person, however, had been a little challenging to work with and needed to be nudged many a time to complete his tasks.
He stopped me in the corridor, his eyes wet.
Please watch the report by The Covai Mail.
‘Saath Saath’ helpline launched by Consortium of Palliative Care Organisations
Saath Saath is a helpline for people and their families who need palliative care. Call: 1800-202-7777
On 7th October 2021, 11 palliative care organizations in India announced the launch of the ‘Saath Saath’ helpline, in an effort to unify their actions and commitment to provide palliative care. The helpline is a national free-of-cost service where patients, caregivers and healthcare providers can be connected to the nearest palliative care center when required.
Introduction of a palliative care helpline marks a concerted effort by 11 palliative care organizations to address the inequity in access to palliative care services for patients and their caregivers. Callers seeking assistance can get connected to palliative services in their preferred language from Hindi, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Assamese and Marathi
The toll-free helpline ‘1800-202-7777’ will be operational from Monday to Saturday between 10 am to 6 pm. It offers direct service provision in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Guwahati.
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Upcoming Events
Nov 8, 2021: Online Foundation Course in Palliative Nursing (FCPN) – ECHO – 18 sessions, on Mondays
Nov 22, 2021: Free Online Volunteer Training Program (VTP) in Malayalam – 5 sessions, from Monday to Friday
Dec 6, 2021: Free Online Volunteer Training Program (VTP) in English – 5 sessions, from Monday to Friday
Nov 26, 2021: International Caregivers Day
Dec 1, 2021: World AIDS day
Dec 3, 2021: International Day of Disabled Persons
Dec 5, 2021: International Volunteer Day
Dec 10, 2021: Human Rights Day
Dec 12, 2021: Universal Health Coverage Day
Check out all upcoming events: https://palliumindia.org/events
Contact: info@palliumindia.org
IAPCON 2022 to be held between 11 & 13 February, 2022
The 29th Conference of Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON) 2022 will be a virtual conference held between 11th and 13th February, 2022.
The theme of the conference is “Towards Excellence and Equity in Palliative care“.
There will be a pre-conference workshop on Thursday, 10th February, 2022.
Registrations are open.
Abstract Submission deadline: 15th Nov, 2021
For more information and to register, please visit the IAPCON website: https://iapcon2022jaipur.com/
Clinical Pediatric Palliative Medicine Fellowship
The Palliative and Supportive Care Unit at the Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children offers a one-year Clinical Pediatric Palliative Medicine Fellowship starting in January 2022. The fellowship is in collaboration with Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration and is endorsed by the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (United Kingdom).
The Fellowship is open to pediatricians only. Interested candidates may contact Dr Smriti Khanna at palliative.care@wadiahospitals.org for prospectus and further details.
Hyderabad centre for Palliative care, Hyderabad is offering one year clinical fellowship in Pediatric Palliative care. For details, please view the flyer.
Conference on Pioneering Nurses
Organised by ICPCN in partnership with St Christopher’s Hospice, Future Opportunities for the Pioneering Nurse will showcase the work of nursing pioneers globally and inspire and empower others to follow in their footsteps.
The event, designed to cater for delegates in all time zones, is a unique opportunity to join a global network of like-minded professionals to further encourage and inspire nurses. We’ll be exploring the key attributes of a pioneering nurse, examining how to harness those skills and showcasing some of the best examples of pioneering nursing internationally.
With interactive, simultaneously translated sessions and discussions, this conference is a chance to support nurses globally to be pioneers in practice.
Register now and share the link with your pioneering colleagues.
Aarohan-3: a unique program to improve palliative care awareness and access
The third edition of “Aarohan: Giving Voice to Lived Experiences” started on October 23, 2021. Aarohan (which means, ‘to rise’) aims to strengthen the voice of direct palliative care beneficiaries (individuals, who are currently living with conditions that require palliative care or may require it in the future, and their caregivers) to seek and receive quality palliative care for themselves and their communities. We look forward to lively, interactive sessions with sharing of experiences and learning.
Gandhi Jayanthi
On October 2, 2021, Pallium India’s team joined hands with BSW students from National College of Arts & Sciences to clean and beautify the premises at Pallium India headquarters at Trivandrum to commemorate Gandhi Jayanthi.
OPENINGS
AZIM PREMJI FOUNDATION
Nurse, Bengaluru
Medical Officer, Bengaluru
EASTERN INDIA PALLIATIVE CARE
Palliative Care Physician, Kolkata
CACHAR CANCER HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE
Palliative Care Physician, Silchar
SNEHAANCHAL, NAGPUR
DILASA, GOA
VISIT OUR CAREERS PAGE:
https://palliumindia.org/category/career
In case of queries, please write to us: career@palliumindia.org
Opioid Availability Workshops in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir
Pallium India organized virtual opioid availability workshops in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. These programs were attended by different stakeholders from these states who could help improve opioid availability in their respective areas.
Pallium India’s State Facilitation Team reports >>
Pallium India updates national directory of palliative care services
Pallium India maintains a state-wise directory of institutions offering palliative care services in India. The list includes palliative care providers from community-based organisations to tertiary care institutions and cancer care centers.
The directory covers critical information like contact details including phone numbers and email addresses, availability of In-patient, Out-patient and home care services, availability of morphine, etc.
If anyone you know needs palliative care support, our directory will help you find the centre closest to you. Do take a look at Pallium India’s Palliative Care Directory and let us know (Email: info@palliumindia.org or Contact us) if any centre near you is missing.
Words of Appreciation
“[] we would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Arjun Devarajan, who was always available for tele-consultation and video-conferencing to guide us and provide proper treatment. Also Dr. Greeshma and Dr. Anand visited the patient regularly and provided expert guidance. We also cannot forget sister Kavita, who was always available to advise and help in handling situations in which we were totally confused. Doctors and nurses and other staff are performing wonderful teamwork and it is very much appreciated.”
This is an extract from a letter of appreciation sent by Dr. G. Raveendran (Former Member, Indian Statistical Service) & Sreedevi Ravindran (Former Scientist- G, Department of Science & Technology) to our team for providing care to one of their relatives.
Congratulations to Sr Kavitha, Drs Arjun, Ananthan, Ms Mini and Dr Greeshma and all members of this compassionate and efficient team. What a privilege and pleasure to work with you all!
Thank you, Dr. G. Raveendran & Sreedevi Ravindran for sharing your experience, and for your kind words.
In other updates…
Pallium India collaborated with Asianet Cable Vision (ACV) to conduct a campaign for Palliative Care by narrating the stories of Palliative Care beneficiaries. As of 24th of October, 38 stories were completed and published through ACV channel throughout Kerala. You can view some of these stories (Malayalam videos with English subtitles) here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfEMpOj3JSGMmMTPGUC1_MGnWKlXolPX7
Pallium India collaborates with various departments of the government for different projects. We work with Social Justice Department of Kerala on Sahajeevanm project for disabled children, with District Collectorate for Vathilpadi Sevanam project, with State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) for IAG-Inter Agency Group for Palliative Care in connection with disaster, with State Public Relation Department for Palliative Care promotion.
Alappuzha District Department of Social Justice, Alappuzha Legal Services Authority and the Law & Justice Research Foundation organized a webinar on October 18 on the topic, “Implementation of the Protection of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 – Challenges and Possibilities“. Pallium India’s representative participated as a panel member.
SANS Pain (Students Against Needless Suffering & Pain): Student Initiative in Palliative Care (SIPC) training for students of Kerala University – 2021-22 batches commence from November 2021.
A one-day training session for physiotherapists was conducted on Saturday, 23 October, 2021. The topics included Introduction to Palliative Care, Pain Management, Communication, Role of Physiotherapy in Palliative Care and Multidisciplinary team approach. Further trainings are being planned for Physiotherapists in the coming weeks.
Thank you!
Suntec Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd supported education scholarships for 100 students from disease-ravaged families, through their Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
We are grateful to Asha Nandakumar and the entire Suntec team for this noble gesture and looking forward to this long term partnership. On behalf of each and everyone at Pallium India, you have our heartfelt gratitude.
Click here to know more about our educational support and other activities.
Video of the Month
Watch the remarkable skills of wheelchair user Ajikumar (English subtitles)
Watch the video on youtube: https://youtu.be/Bco8bxDUyn4
In this series, Asianet Cable Vision (ACV) channel explores the lives of people in Trivandrum who receive support from Pallium India. Watch these videos to know how palliative care can improve the life of people who live with serious health related suffering.
Subscribe to Pallium India for more stories.
Subscribe to Pallium India’s youtube channel for 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.
If you have any queries, please write to us: info@palliumindia.org
News and Articles
First of its kind website aims to provide resources about palliative care for kids
The website aims to serve as a hub to connect people with services and other families who may be going through many of the same challenges. It also has pages walking families through the impact on members of the family outside of the child who is suffering, as well as resources on how to plan for end of life care and the grieving process. Times News Express reports. Read more >>
Family over self turning lethal for breast cancer patients
Some women prioritise their family needs before their health, some hesitate to talk about lumps in breast, lack of awareness about early symptoms of the cancer, and not consulting doctors or healthcare workers were leading to disastrous consequences. K. Shiva Shanker writes in The Hindu. Read more >>
My learnings from Palliative Care – “Why me?”
Pouruchisti Wadia, Associate Program Director, Romila Palliative Care at SNEHA, writes: “Why me? Why is God punishing me? What did I do to deserve this? Life isn’t fair”, are all questions that indicate spiritual pain and suffering. Read more >>
Palliative Care in India: A pain free path towards better quality of life
Policies and efforts towards revamping medical education, expanding public health and community health interventions, and overall improvement in health systems are key factors driving palliative care in India, and the movement towards a more integrated and holistic health(care) ecosystem. Mahesh Venkateswaran writes about the palliative care scenario in India. Read more >>
Oh – to belong!
How easy it is to take this for granted. And how easy it can be to nourish it for a fellow human being. Billy Rosa writes in ehospice news. Read more >>
Click here to donate to Pallium India and lend a hand to our activities.
Donations from US can be made online on http://palliumindiausa.org/
For DOMESTIC Transfer:
Beneficiary: Pallium India Trust
Account No: 30086491915
State Bank of India
Branch: Pattom, Trivandrum
IFS Code: SBIN0003355
MICR No: 695002007
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
Please help us find a permanent home!
Pallium India is looking for a place for our permanent headquarters with inpatient, outpatient facilities, rehabilitation centre & training rooms. Anywhere in and around Thiruvananthapuram where people can reach easily.
Please contact: 97467 45502 / 97467 46528 / info@palliumindia.org
Follow us for palliative care news, views and updates – as & when they happen
SAHAYATRA
Sahayatra, Pallium India’s monthly print magazine in Malayalam, is meant for anyone interested in Palliative Care – patients, families, palliative care professionals, volunteers and well-wishers.
Yearly subscription rate for Sahayatra is ₹200. (Only ₹500 if you subscribe for three years.) However, we send Sahayatra free of cost to patients and their families.
To subscribe to Sahayatra monthly magazine, please send your complete postal address to info@palliumindia.org. Read previous issues of Sahayatra online: https://palliumindia.org/sahayatra
EXPERIENCES
PARTING SHOT
Do we care for our children? Yes?
Of course, yes. Grandchildren? Most certainly. Great grandchildren? Hmmm, okay. Their children? Well, we dont want to admit it, but the truth is, no, not much. In fact, we would rather be comfortable in our air-conditioned rooms and hotels and flights now, rather than think about what world we will leave behind for them..
Well, at least to know ourselves a bit better, let us read this WHO report: WHO’s 10 calls for climate action to assure sustained recovery from COVID-19
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