September 2022
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Happy Onam to all !
Pallium India receives Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Pallium India is pleased to announce that we have been granted Consultative Status (Special Category) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The United Nations (UN) works to strengthen cooperation with accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the entire UN system and in all areas of its work. This imperative is enshrined in various official documents, which include the Millennium Development Goals of 2000, the World Summit Outcome Document, 2005, the General Assembly resolution 68/1 on strengthening of ECOSOC, 2013 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the Sustainable Development Summit, 2015.
ECOSOC is the main entry point for official accreditation of NGOs in the UN system. Providing NGOs with “consultative status” after a rigorous evaluation process allows ECOSOC to avail itself of expert advice from NGOs, while providing NGOs with the opportunity to consult with, express their views, and influence the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, such as the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Human Rights Council.
NGOs have specialized competence, hands-on experience and flexibility that is of great value to the UN Secretariats and all the member states.
Read more to understand what it means: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/pallium-india-ecosoc
Joint statement by IAHPC and Pallium India
On the 30th of August 2022, Katherine Pettus, Senior Advocacy and Partnerships Director at the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) presented a joint statement on behalf of the IAHPC and Pallium India – both organisations with ECOSOC Consultative Status – at a Multi-Stakeholder meeting on the human rights of older persons, hosted by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The IAHPC/Pallium India intervention called for the inclusion of the right to palliative care which provides pain relief, as well as psychological, social, and spiritual support for patients and their caregivers, many of whom are older women. It highlighted the fact that palliative care provided in the home and the community can operationalize the right of the person with a serious diagnosis to work, to go to school, to participate in the community, in political life, in the family, and in the arts. And that the right to palliative care supports the right of older persons to enjoy those other rights.
It further articulated the urgent need for age-disaggregated data on serious health related suffering to plan for publicly provided palliative care and adequate procurement of palliative care medicines such as morphine, unavailable in more than 85% of the world.
Click here to read the statement.
Why oral morphine is out of reach…
Oral morphine is not available; but transdermal fentanyl is. The latter is 150 times more expensive than ordinary morphine tablets and less suitable for starting management of pain.
Why is the affordable simple medicine not available? And why is the expensive one available when they are both covered by the same regulations? This was one of the several issues related to low and middle income countries that were brought up in a webinar ‘Eastern Comparative Models in Palliative Care: Perspectives from Africa, Asia, and the Americas’.
The event was part of the ‘afterlife’ of the Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief (2018), which discusses access to palliative care.
Read the report here: The Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief—findings, recommendations, and future directions – The Lancet Global Health
Global palliative care champions shared updates on the progress made in the field in their regions, revealing each had made advances and lags in different aspects. In a recent webinar organised by the Global Palliative Care and Pain Relief Research Hub, participants shared progress and problem areas in their regions.
Experts who shared updates include Heloísa Broggiato Matter from the United Kingdom, Gulnara Kunirova from Kazakhstan, Emmanuel Luyirika and Eve Namisango from Uganda, Dr M.R. Rajagopal from India, and Katherine Pettus, Felicia Knaul and Billy Rosa from the US.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/09/why-oral-morphine-is-out-of-reach
Pallium India’s Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), in collaboration with Queens University, Canada, presents Global Fellowship in Palliative Medicine.
Last date to apply: 31 October 2022
Announcement of selected candidates: 30 November 2022
Course starts on: 02 January 2023
In case of queries please contact: globalfellowship@palliumindia.org / +91 85890 21637
Read more and apply here: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/global-fellowship-jan2023
Submit your story: Share your palliative care experience with the world
The Commonwealth Foundation’s online community of writers, adda, has invited creative submissions on the theme of healthy communities. The 2022-2023 submission categories are creative non-fiction, short fiction, short graphic fiction and poetry, on the theme of ‘Healthy Communities’.
If you have stories to share but are not much into writing, Pallium India offers an opportunity to be part of a submission we are working on.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/adda-submissions-healthy-communities
‘Innovations in Oncology’ Workshop
Dr Bharat Chauhan (Organizing Secretary) of the Trident Cancer Foundation, Mumbai invited Pallium India through Dr Jagruti Kamdar to participate in their workshop which was organized on the 6th of Aug 2022 at Hotel Radisson Blu, Andheri East, Mumbai.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/innovations-oncology-workshop-mumbai
Workshop on Opioid availability in Rajasthan
In co-ordination with Dr Anjum Khan Joad of BMCHRC (Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital & Research Centre) Jaipur, Pallium India organised a Workshop on Opioid availability in Rajasthan on 4th August, 2022.
35 participants were present in the event including Mr Ajay Pathak, State Drug Controller Rajasthan, and Dr Nirmala, In-charge Officer NPPC, NHM Rajasthan, and twenty doctors from government & private sectors, Rajasthan.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/opioid-workshop-rajasthan
3-day ELNEC program at SKIMS
One of Pallium India’s collaborating centers, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Department of Pain and Palliative Care in Srinagar, J&K, organised a three-day ELNEC (End of Life Nursing Education Consortium) program with the support of Cipla Foundation, from July 21st to 23rd, 2022.
Prof. Nazir Ahmed Khan (HOD, Pain and Palliative Care, SKIMS) and his staff had arranged it for all the nurses of the hospital. There was a total of 30 participants from different departments of SKIMS, Government Medical College and Cancer Society of Kashmir.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/elnec-program-skims
10 day Foundation Training in Puducherry
Pallium India’s Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), the WHO collaborating Centre for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief, in association with Aarupadai Veedu Medical College (AVMC) Puducherry, conducted a 10-day foundation training program for palliative care professionals (doctors and nurses) in the union territory of Puducherry. This course emphasizes the importance of psychosocial, emotional and spiritual issues along with physical problems in chronically ill patients.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/foundation-training-puducherry
‘Time We Implemented Kerala Palliative Care Policy’
Palliative Care is most evolved and readily available in north Kerala, and the scene changes from dismal to atrocious as it reaches the southern most parts, agreed a group of doctors.
Right now most patients who get Palliative care get it in the last 48 hours of their life. This leaves them to go through serious health related suffering for years. While many go through Intensive Care Unit (ICU) deaths, the poor are comparatively lucky to escape it.
A group of doctors and lawyers met with Pallium India Chairman Dr M.R. Rajagopal in an online course by CUSAT and discussed medical law and bioethics among other topics in relation to Palliative care legislation in India.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/cusat-online-course
Grief can be Fatal
A recent study finds a connection between bereavement and mortality risk when it involved loss of a partner, child, sibling or grandchild. This included loss by natural causes and unnatural deaths, such as suicide.
Heart failure mortality risk increased by 20% after the death of a spouse or partner, 13% with a sibling, 10% on losing a child, and 5% if it were a grandchild, according to the study.
No increased risk was seen after the death of a parent, which is likely owed to a median patient age of about 75 years and “is in line with our expectations of the life cycle”, wrote Patrice Wendling, quoting researchers. Her article, published in ‘Medscape’ online medical journal, points out the need to provide bereavement support to surviving family members who were at risk of unbearable heartbreak.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/grief-can-be-fatal
Are children more accepting of death than adults?
The death of a child is for most parents the worst thing that could happen to them. It is against the natural order for the child to die before the parents.
But could it be that children are more accepting of death than adults?
Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal and widely known author discusses the subject in his blog: Are children more accepting of death than adults?
Comparing thoughts on the topic by two authors with opposing ideas, Smith tries to understand how children accept or fight the idea that they are suffering from an incurable illness.
The books he compares are ‘Waiting for the Last Bus: Reflections on Life and Death’ by Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh, and ‘Walk with the Weary: Lessons in humanity in health care’ a memoir by Dr M.R. Rajagopal, Founder-Chairman of Pallium India.
Read more: https://palliumindia.org/2022/08/death-blog-richard-smith
‘Walk with the Weary’ is currently available on Amazon.in, Flipkart and Notion Press store.
If you are in the US or the UK, please visit: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
If you are in Australia, here is how you can get a copy of the book via our friends at Australasian Palliative Link International (APLI).
Publisher: Notion Press (February 2, 2022)
Language: English
Paperback: 242 pages / Kindle
ISBN: 979-8885559416
All proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards providing palliative care to people who desperately need it but have no access to it.
Click here to know more about “Walk with the Weary” by Dr M R Rajagopal and to get your copy.
Write to: info@palliumindia.org
Stories of unrelieved pain and psychosocial rollercoaster rides
Dr M R Rajagopal, Chairman of Pallium India, writes:
Pallium India’s social engagement officer, Mr Srikanth and I had a rich experience of sharing thoughts on palliative care with the house surgeons of Government Medical College, Kollam.
For me, the best part was the experiences shared by two members from the audience, Krishna, a medical student and Dr Kiran, an assistant professor of microbiology. Dr Kiran was involved in a bad accident and the clearest memories are those of unrelieved pain. But also of the outcome of insensitive communication which resulted in fear of the worst consequences, the depression and frustration and the psychosocial roller coaster ride resulting in strained relationships in the family. Ms Krishna described her own experiences of taking her young brother to a hospital after a bad accident.
Both the stories highlighted the importance of palliative care approach by the healthcare system.
We discussed the concept of palliative care and endeavoured to bring clarity to it. We discussed how it needs to be integrated into palliative care.
The institution does not have a palliative care program now; but we hope that the current interest results in realisation of a palliative care service in the institution as envisaged in Kerala’s palliative care policy of 2017.
Thank you Dr Yadev, Associate Professor of Surgery for facilitating this interaction. Thank you Dr Linnette Morris, the Principal, Dr Santhosh, the medical superintendent, Dr Prabash, the Head of Anesthesiology and all members of the faculty and management for participating in the deliberations all through an hour and a half..
Courses / Conferences / Events
12 September 2022
Online Foundation Course in Palliative Medicine (FCPM) -English
Classes Scheduled: 20 Sessions (3 sessions per week)
Day of the week: Mon, Wed & Fri
Start Date: 12 September 2022 (Monday)
End Date: 2 November 2022 (Friday)
Class Timing: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Where: ZOOM Online
14 September 2022
Respiratory Master class for Palliative Care
Physicians
Classes Scheduled: 09 Sessions (1 session per week)
Start Date: 14 September 2022 (Wednesday)
End Date: 16 November 2022 (Wednesday)
Days of the week: Wednesday
Class Timing: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM IST
Where: ZOOM Online
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD)
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.
With one voice, we will celebrate the importance of palliative care to quality of life, and advocate for equitable access for all.
The WHPCD theme for 2022: Healing Hearts and Communities
The experience of grief and the need to heal unites humans worldwide. With more than six million deaths worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in tremendous strain on healthcare systems and unprecedented grief and suffering for health workers and caregivers. In addition, several conflicts and wars are taking place around the globe, resulting in millions of families and caregivers grieving the deaths of family and friends, experiencing social isolation and property destruction.
Read more about World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2022 >> http://thewhpca.org/world-hospice-and-palliative-care-day/about
Palliative Care Works (PCW) announces a virtual conference on 8th October 2022
Michael Minton (trustee) writes on behalf of Palliative Care Works (PCW):
PCW is a UK based charity focusing on support (training & mentoring) in the development of Palliative Care (PC) in low and middle income countries.
As a consequence of the pandemic, teaching and training of palliative care has had to resort to a virtual platform. As it happens the new technology has been a great resource but what is the learning experience for students and the challenges for presenters? Can one undertake successful mentoring using only distance learning? These issues form the theme for our conference this year.
We have continued with a virtual presentation as this provides a world wide audience but the value of networking is lost. The conference will discuss ideas and consequences for the future.
Register via PCW website: https://palliativecareworks.org/
IAPCON 2023 Bengaluru
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.
The McGill International Congress on Palliative Care: Oct 18-21, 2022.
McGill University’s International Congress on Palliative Care is the longest running congress for this field. Founded in 1976 by Dr. Balfour Mount and his colleagues, it is now organized and hosted biennially by Palliative Care McGill.
Visit the conference website: https://www.mcgill.ca/palliativecare/congress
3rd Annual U.S. Celebration of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day: A Virtual Coming Together
Access to palliative care is a right to the highest standard of health and an integral component of universal health coverage for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses.
This innovative 2-day virtual conference is a U.S.-based “coming together” that strives to foster community building and wisdom sharing. A multidisciplinary group of palliative care leaders at the forefront of research, policy, and clinical practice will present on diverse topics, including dignity in care, racism and structural discrimination, and care for historically excluded populations. Register: https://www.mskcc.org/whpcd
****Palliative care professionals residing in low and middle income countries, as well as palliative care students and trainees currently enrolled in a university program or completing a clinical fellowship or residency, are eligible for complimentary registration by emailing uswhapcday@mskcc.org.****
Check out upcoming events: https://palliumindia.org/events
Queries? Contact: info@palliumindia.org
Video of the Month
How storytelling can transform suffering – Smriti Rana at TEDxSJMC
In this captivating talk, Smriti Rana depicts how people are not just repositories of disease that need to be treated, but protagonists in their own scripts for whom much can be done if we zoom out and view them through a larger lens and listen with a compassionate ear.
Click here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbpF0XBfs0g
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.
Follow us on Social Media for updates
Contact us: info@palliumindia.org / 97467 45497
OPENINGS AT PALLIUM INDIA
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 our numbers.
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
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.
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
PARTING SHOT
Home
A poem by Dr Deepak Sudhakaran, Pallium India:
Home, A place where everyone can dream,
How life should be as free as a stream.
Bonds forever are made in here,
Beautiful times with our dear and near.
In thus seemingly a normal life,
Came a monster which will push them to a life long strife.
Its the day they realise their body is ill,
Its not just on the surface because soon it may kill.
Living in the fear of what tomorrow may be like,
Dark times cloud their life and keeps rising as if an uphill hike.
This hike is not one of pleasure or achievement,
But that of life long suffering and deceivement.
Their every hope may get dashed,
Sooner or later their grip over life may get weak and slashed.
At such times there should come a ray of hope,
A group of hearts because of whom they can cope.
The suffering is there but there are hands to hold,
These hands hold steady while hearing stories of distress untold.
These hands wipe the tears of pain,
All they do is to caress and to care.
They wish to treat them as if a family of their own,
They create an ambience in which seeds of compassion are sown.
With strolls and words that will brighten their heart,
The darkness recedes and it feels like a new start.
They find their forever place,
Where they wish to live and die in solace.
Providing that to the suffering is the only intention,
A service which walks along a person’s every situation.
We do what we do to the hilt and to the maximum,
WE are one and we are Pallium.
(Published in ehospice: https://ehospice.com/india_posts/home/.)
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