May 2022
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Collaboration for balanced access to opioids: webinar on 29 April 2022
H.E Mr Ghislain D’Hoop calls for pain relief and exhorts, “Leave no patient behind”. Chairs of two Lancet Commissions – Felicia Knaul of Access to Pain Relief & Palliative Care 2017, and Keith N Humphreys of Opioid Governance 2022 – lay out the specifics.
Listen to them and to all other speakers (including Dr Rajagopal, Chairman of Pallium India):
Click here to view the recording on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVzu6A8lzw
This webinar, co-organised by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) fills us with hope for the future. Instead of advocates for either addiction medicine or palliative medicine, let us hope, we will have advocates for humanity and compassion.
Thank you, Dr Katherine Pettus of International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC) for your strategy and effective functioning.
Walk with the Weary: Lessons in Humanity in Health care
Click here to know more about the book
Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-weary-Lessons-humanity-health/dp/B09WKL2K56/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walk-weary-Lessons-humanity-health/dp/B09WKL2K56/
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09RPCKS8K/
Flipkart: https://www.flipkart.com/walk-with-the-weary/p/itm8eff6b6ea22f5
Notion Press Publishers: https://notionpress.com/read/walk-with-the-weary (Use coupon code PALLIATIVCARE )
“Inspiring, poignant, and humorous, Dr M. R. Raja Gopal’s memoir (Walk with the Weary) holds deeply inspiring stories every doctor should read.” – Dr Jimmy Mathew, a plastic surgeon.
He adds about the tendency of the healthcare system to ignore suffering, “We often live in exalted orbits, inhabiting an idealized problem solving scientific space, while most of our people needing desperate care fall through the cracks of our system, writhing in agony. We close our eyes and minds to the enormous Jurassic monsters facing us every single moment of our sojourn- pain and death- while chasing rabbits and playing with squirrels.”
What other readers say about ‘Walk with the Weary’:
Why do we not look to relieve suffering?
Dr M R Rajagopal’s book Walking with the Weary – A Must Read (Sreedevi Krishnan)
M. R. Rajagopal’s “Walk with the Weary” is a call-to-action for a Death with Dignity
If you are in the USA in May 2022, please do try to attend these events:
MAY 7, 2022: DANCING FOR A CAUSE
Students of ‘School of Indian Dance’ are performing to raise funds for Pallium India.
Venue: 3676 Delaware Dr, Fremont, CA 94538
Date & Time: May 7, 11:00 AM
MAY 13, 2022: BLOOD DRIVE
The Seattle chapter of Pallium India USA is organizing a Blood Donation drive in partnership with Red Cross America.
Venue: Lake Washington United Methodist Church in Kirkland, Washington.
MAY 18, 2022: Virtual Reading & Discussion
Walk with the Weary: Lessons in Humanity and Health care by Dr. M. R. Rajagopal
Date: May 18, 2022
Time: 5 PM PST/6 PM MST/7 PM CST/8 PM EST
Where: ZOOM Online
JUNE 5, 2022: BOOK SIGNING EVENT
Date: June 5,2022
Time: 10:30 AM to 01:00 PM
Venue: ICC Milpitas, Los Coches st, Milpitas, CA 95035
More events will be updated as and when they are finalised, so please watch this space: https://palliumindiausa.org/news-events/
For more information on any of the above events, please write to: info@palliumindiausa.org
Suja Oommen
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Suja Oommen, who passed away on 25th April, 2022.
Suja joined Pallium India as a staff nurse in 2014 and was with us for two years. She infused everything she did with energy and positivity. Her enthusiasm and dedication to patient care was always an inspiration to her colleagues.
May her soul rest in peace.
Centres offering MD / DNB in Palliative Medicine
After the acceptance of Palliative Medicine as a speciality in India in 2010 and the starting of MD course in Tata Memorial in Mumbai in 2012, progress was slow. Kudos to the efforts of Dr Sushma Bhatnagar and colleagues. There has been a spurt of growth in recent years.
Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) has compiled this list of centres offering MD and DNB in Palliative Medicine in India. Click here to check it out.
Lessons from Assam
In March 2022, Sr Jinni Joy (Staff Nurse, Pallium India) and I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Assam for a week that left us with unforgettable memories.
Caregivers should overcome unconscious bias
How decisions are made and patients cared for are often guided by the Golden Rule: Treat patients as we would want to be treated in similar circumstances. But when patients’ lived experiences and outlooks deviate substantively from our own, we stop being a reliable barometer of their needs, values, and goals, writes Dr Harvey Max Chochinov, in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Read: ‘The Platinum Rule: A New Standard for Person-Centred Care’
6 weeks Certificate Course for doctors and nurses (CCPPM & CCPN)
Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), Pallium India, invites doctors and nurses to join this six weeks course in pain management and palliative care.
Location: Pallium India, Trivandrum.
Start Date: 9 May 2022 (Monday)
If you are unable to attend the six weeks’ training in person at Trivandrum, these trainings are for you:
Online Foundation Course in Palliative Medicine for doctors (FCPM)
Classes Scheduled: 20 Sessions (3 sessions per week)
Start Date: 4 May 2022 (Wednesday)
Days of the week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Class Timing: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Where: ZOOM Online
Online Foundation Course in Palliative Nursing for nurses (FCPN)
Classes Scheduled: 18 Sessions (2 sessions per week)
Day of the week: Mondays & Thursdays
Start Date: 16 May 2022 (Monday)
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Where: ZOOM Online
Video of the Month
One life at a time
Watch this beautiful video about palliative care, from our colleagues at African Palliative Care Association (APCA)
Click here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxPk7ahoRZU
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.
IAPCON 2023
The 30th Annual International Conference (IAPCON 2023) of Indian Association of Palliative Care will be a physical conference held at Bengaluru, Karnataka, organized by Karunashraya.
Dates of event: 10-12 February, 2023
Pre-conference workshops: 9 February, 2023.
The theme of IAPCON 2023 is: ‘Metamorphosis: The emergence of Subspeciality Palliative Medicine’.
Please visit the conference website for further details.
Abstract Submission is now open!
Call for Expression of Interest to conduct pre-conference workshops
Heartiest Congratulations
to Ms Sheela Rani Kidangoor, community nurse (primary palliative care nurse) who has been selected as the winner of the Florence Nightingale award 2021.
National Florence Nightingale Nurses Awards are given as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by Nursing Professionals in the country. This award is presented on the 12th of May every year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
World Health Day – Medical Camp at Njaraneeli
In connection with World Health Day, Pallium India, Nanniyode Pain & Palliative Care Society, NSS unit Iqbal College Njaraneeli and Govt. Upper Primary School Njaraneeli jointly organised a Palliative Care Community Awareness program and Palliative Care Medical Camp at at Govt. Upper Primary School Njaraneeli, Peringamala Panchayath 6th Ward, on Sunday, 10th April, 2022.
The palliative care medical camp was inaugurated by Shri. Shinu Madathara, President Peringamala Grampanchayat. The palliative care awareness program was inaugurated by Smt.Sheeja Shajahan, Health and Education Standing Committee Chairperson, Peringamla Grampanchayat. Shri K Sivadasan, Smt Karthika CP, Shri Venu, Smt Razia Beevi, Dr R Sumesh, Shri Hijir Muhammed, Dr SunilKumar M M and Shri Babu Abraham also spoke at the event.
Follow us on Social Media for updates
Contact us: info@palliumindia.org / 97467 45497
Upcoming Events
May 4, 2022: Online Foundation Course in Palliative Medicine for doctors (FCPM) – ECHO
May 9, 2022: 6 weeks Certificate Course for doctors and nurses (CCPPM & CCPN) at Trivandrum
May 12, 2022: International Nurses Day, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.”
May 16, 2022: Online Foundation Course in Palliative Nursing (FCPN) in English – ECHO
May 23, 2022: FREE Volunteer Training Program (Online) – Malayalam
May 30, 2022: FREE Volunteer Training Program (Online) – English
June 3, 2022: Online Foundation Course in Palliative Care (FCPC) – ECHO
June 5, 2022: World Environment Day, “Only One Earth”
Aug 24-26, 2022: African Palliative Care Conference
Feb 10-12, 2023: IAPCON 2023
Global Palliative Care and Pain Relief Research Hub (Webinar Series)
Register for this webinar (free): https://mskcc.org/GlobalPalliativeCare
Check out all upcoming trainings and important days: https://palliumindia.org/events
Contact: info@palliumindia.org
OPENINGS
VISIT OUR CAREERS PAGE:
https://palliumindia.org/category/career
In case of queries, please write to us: career@palliumindia.org
Patients and families from anywhere in India can call Pallium India’s Telehealth helpline. Health care professionals who need advice on palliative care or pain management can call this number.
The service is FREE and available in English, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil.
Our lines are open from Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4pm
Call: +91 964 588 4889 / +91 860 688 4889
In case of queries, please write to us: info@palliumindia.org
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.
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
Queries? Write to info@palliumindia.org or call 97467 45504
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. Contact: 97467 45504
Read previous issues of Sahayatra online: https://palliumindia.org/sahayatra
Bring smiles to the faces of children – send us toys!
These are what we’re looking for: colouring books, colour pencils, crayons, sketch pens, soft toys.
But please do speak to us before you send anything:
085899 98761 / 097467 45497 / info@palliumindia.org
PARTING SHOT
PPP – PETS, PEOPLE & PALLIATIVE CARE
Shriya Singh writes:
Pallium India is housed in a rented facility which sees many visitors. And not all of them are human. In fact, our most frequent visitors are from the animal world.
Some stay on the campus – like the extremely talkative female black dog. Her name, depending on who is addressing her, is Chulbul/Karumban. In recent months, a young pregnant dog with the sweetest temperament began visiting us. In what appears to be a Pallium habit of bestowing two names on every dog, she was called Maya/Sundari.
These regulars were vaccinated and sterilised, and are fed regularly by team members who share scheduled duties.
One day Maya went missing for 2 -3 days. We figured she had given birth – but where? We frantically searched the campus and the old car junkyard in the adjoining plot, but weren’t able to find her or the pups. And as mysteriously as she had disappeared, a few days later Maya re-appeared. She led Sr. Kavitha (her regular feeder and guardian) to a corner of the junkyard where even animals don’t usually go, and (quite proudly) introduced her to a litter of seven healthy pups.
Through our joy, we also realised that we had to find homes for all 7 of them. I had the uphill and herculean task of getting indie dogs adopted. Most people prefer so-called “pedigree” dogs that they buy from pet stores or “breeders”. This trend has very dark and cruel consequences, and animal welfare activists strongly advocate for the adoption of pets rather than buying them. But that is a story for another time.
We created a poster and sent it out on social media. It was rapidly and extensively shared on Whatsapp. The very next day, I got a call saying “Is this Pallium India? I would like to adopt a pup please.” This became an inside joke, which added one more activity to Pallium India’s extensive work profile.
The adoption week was a rollercoaster ride- I was bombarded with messages and calls enquiring about the pups. We met some wonderful human beings. One family was grieving the loss of their pet due to a terminal illness and were eager to love and care for another dog in need of a home. A mother-daughter duo whose grandmother has been a patient under our home care service for a while, came by to the facility for the first time – a visit that gave them and us (and the puppy they took home) immense happiness.
A young MBBS graduate drove all the way from Kollam along with her sister in heavy rain. She left with a pup and a promise to return for an internship in palliative care. One family wanted to raise their young 2-year-old daughter with a pet so as to infuse more compassion in her upbringing. A devoted and smitten husband took home a pup to surprise his wife on her 30th birthday.
4 pups were adopted a day after the word went out. And within a week, all 7 were in their forever homes with kind hearted people.
What will always stay with me is the joy on the faces of our team, especially our nurses who spent a lot of time cuddling and playing with the puppies after their homecare duties. We constantly heard giggles and ‘awwws’ from downstairs after a long day of work.
Special thanks to my co-conspirator Sr. Kavitha who went out of her way to take care of Maya, fed the entire litter and introduced the nurses to the puppies, and other angels like Vyshnav who ran in the rain to save the puppies.
Sweetest perhaps were the first timers – people who up until this time had never held or played with an animal. Some who had even been afraid.
These puppies changed that, and we hope they hold and love many more in their lives.
Pets/Animals have a longstanding history of providing faithful companionship and unconditional love towards the humans in their lives. This companionship and love creates a powerful emotional bond between them. The bond that humans share with pets results in several positive effects like reduced anxiety and stress, increased feelings of relaxation, and an overall improved outlook on life. In seeking to provide patients with the best end-of-life care possible, many hospice organisations employ the use of animal companionship as a form of therapy. Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy in the hospice setting, uses the natural bond between humans and animals to provide comfort, peace, and soothing companionship to patients and their families, especially those towards the end of life.
Even though this scenario is a rare sight in India, we hope one day our permanent “Home for Pallium India” will provide space and coexist with our furry friends, who can assist and support our clinical staff to provide care and comfort.
(Shriya – an animal-lover, nature-lover and much more, seen in the image with the puppies – works with Resource Mobilisation Department at Pallium India.)
(Have you donated towards a permanent “Home” for Pallium India yet ?? 🙂 Scan the QR code below or visit palliumindia.org/donate)
After you make a donation, please write to us at donations@palliumindia.org for the receipt. Kindly provide your name, PAN number, contact number and address for us to issue the receipt.
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