October 2022
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World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: October 8, 2022
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) 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.
Suicidal behavior in adolescents: a memo for palliative care providers too?
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has come out with guidelines for identifying suicidal behavior in adolescents. See Galagali PM et al in Indian Academy of Pediatrics Consensus Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents
Palliative care providers need to take note of this because:
- Palliative care is not only for the patient, but also for the family,
- Adolescents among patients go through the combined challenges of dealing with adolescence as well as with a serious illness, and
- Adolescents among family members of patients feel neglected and challenged emotionally and socially.
A word of caution, nevertheless: While the first question would be very good as part of screening by a pediatrician who already has built a relationship with the young person, it could be felt as insensitive and as an invasion of self, if administered by an investigator, especially if abruptly. The question involves exploration of a certain space in one’s mind that is extremely private.
IAHPC Comprehensive Course in Symptom Assessment and Management
The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) announces the launch of its Comprehensive Symptom Assessment and Management course.
This 8-module course is designed for IAHPC members who wish to increase their knowledge and skills in patient-centered management of symptoms (other than pain). The course will be taught by faculty who are experts in the field, and will address symptoms that are common in palliative care for adults. It complements the Comprehensive Pain Assessment and Management course taught by Professor Lukas Radbruch and Dr. Ebtesam Ahmed in June-July 2022.
The curriculum addresses basic principles associated with symptom assessment, effective pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options, and appropriate therapeutic regimens. The course will cover assessment and management of the most distressing and common symptoms happening in palliative care, such as Fatigue, Delirium, GI symptoms, Dyspnea, Insomnia, Psychological distress and others.
Live sessions will be recorded for participants unable to attend the live session or those who want to review sessions they already watched. Preregistration is required. The course is free to IAHPC members. (Click here to become a member.)
Click here to know more about the course and to register
Global Fellowship in Palliative Medicine – Registration closes on October 31 – apply now!
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
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.
Video of the Month
CND thematic Intersessional September 2022 – Intervention by Dr M R Rajagopal, Chairman of Pallium India, addressing the challenge that “responses not in conformity with the three international drug control conventions pose a challenge to the implementation of joint commitments based on the principle of common and shared responsibility”.
Click here to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVFhJhS6PA
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
Going the Last Mile
In the article Going the last mile: How to enable a graceful care journey for the elderly published in the Hindustan Times on September 23, 2022, Rajiv Tandon and Sanjana Kumari give us hope for the future. They have started piloting palliative care where it is most needed – in the slums of Delhi.
We applaud and agree. Thank you, Mr Rajiv Tandon and Ms Sanjana Kumari.
And they recommend that “This service should be accessible to all Indians irrespective of where they stand in the social strata”. Hurray! Equity; accessibility; justice!
We have good news to add to their recommendation for training in humanities for doctors. From 2019, pain management, end of life care and AETCOM (Attitude, Ethics and Communication) have been added to MBBS curriculum!
Thank you for proving that palliative care is everyone’s business. And thank you, Harsh Vardhan Sahni, for bringing this article to our attention.
Building Compassionate Communities
Professor Robert Abrams, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York writes about Dr Rajagopal’s book, Walk with the Weary:
“Mistakes and regrets, in medicine as in every human endeavor, have the potential to open up new directions, to expand into whole new areas of thought and work; in this instance there was Dr Rajagopal’s epiphany that almost any hardship, any sorrow, can be eased if a person does not feel entirely alone in facing it.
“In terminal illness, however, certain friends and family members will predictably stay away, not only because of hospital restrictions but because they might recoil from witnessing the rapid approach of death. Many dying patients are therefore in need of non-family surrogates or advocates.”
Read the complete review by Professor Robert Abrams.
Stories that come alive:
“Deeply engrossed in your stories in Walk with the weary; the montages scroll in front of our eyes, feel as if we lived those experiences. Rich immersive life experience from a person who walked with the weary holding their hands all through his life and continuing to do it.” – Dr P.K. Shanthakumary.
Walk with the Weary: Lessons in Humanity in Health care 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
Courses / Conferences / Events
Nurses & Doctors, here is an opportunity to visit Trivandrum and get a ringside view to Pallium India’s work in the field of palliative care. In addition to attending classroom sessions, you will assist in our inpatient and out patient facilities as well as join the team on home visits.
Join our six weeks course in Trivandrum starting on October 3, 2022: Certificate Course in Pain and Palliative Medicine (CCPPM) & Certificate Course in Palliative Nursing (CCPN)
Eligibility for CCPPM: M.B.B.S or BDS.
Eligibility for CCPN: Any nurse holding a recognised degree or certificate in nursing.
Start Date: 3 October 2022 (Monday)
Six weeks’ “Hands-on” Certificate Course in Pain & Palliative Medicine (CCPPM)
Objective: To enable participants to gain practical “hands-on” training in pain and palliative medicine supplemented by theoretical background.
Eligibility: M.B.B.S or BDS with permanent registration with medical / dental council.
Six weeks’ “Hands-on” Certificate Course in Palliative Nursing (CCPN)
Objective: To enable participants to gain practical “hands-on” training in palliative care nursing supplemented by theoretical background.
Eligibility: Any nurse holding a recognised degree or certificate in nursing and interested in palliative care is eligible to do the course.
Know more and register now for CCPPM or CCPN: https://palliumindia.org/2022/09/ccppm-ccpn-oct3
Write to us if you have queries: education@palliumindia.org Or call us: +91 85899 98760
18 October 2022
Online Foundation Course in Palliative Nursing (FCPN) for nurses
Classes Scheduled: 18 Sessions (2 sessions per week)
Day of the week: Tuesdays & Saturdays
Start Date: 18 October 2022 (Tuesday)
End Date: 17 December 2022 (Saturday)
Class Timing: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (IST)
Where: ZOOM Online
14 November 2022
Online Foundation Course in Palliative Medicine (FCPM) for doctors
Classes Scheduled: 20 Sessions (3 sessions per week)
Days of the week: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Start Date: 14 November 2022 (Monday)
End Date: 28 December 2022 (Wednesday)
Class Timing: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM (IST)
Where: ZOOM Online
7 December 2022
Foundation Course in Palliative Care – Psychosocial Interventions (Basics)
Sessions Scheduled : 16 Sessions (2 sessions per week)
Days of the week: Wednesdays & Fridays
Start Date : 7 December 2022 (Wednesday)
End Date: 27 January 2023 (Friday)
Class Timing: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM (IST)
Where: ZOOM ONLINE
Palliative Care Works (PCW) announces a virtual conference on 8th October 2022
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.
Congratulations to Ms Rajalekshmy Balu who leads our virtual education program and to Dr Sreedevi Warrier who heads our Education division for having your abstracts accepted. We look forward to your presentations.
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
One step forward for freedom from pain:
Congratulations, Dr Zinia Nujum, Dr Mathew and other authors.
Dr Zinia Nujum, Professor of Community Medicine in Kollam Government Medical College, wins the best paper award from the Journal of Indian Public Health Association. It was Pallium India’s privilege to work with her on this study and in palliative care delivery.
The Zinia Nujum et al study is significant at least in two ways. One, it addresses suffering – not a disease, which is unusual for the healthcare system. Two, it chooses an inexpensive way of achieving this. If you go to PubMed, you will see a few articles like this; but almost all of them confine themselves to expensive solutions that can be offered (which are also possibly much less effective). Dr Zinia has gone for efficacy, safety and pragmatism.
Collective action towards integrated care – Cross learnings from NCD, TB and HIV programs
On 30 August 2022, Healthy India Alliance organised a round table meeting on “Collective action towards integrated care – Cross learnings from NCD, TB and HIV programs” at India International Centre, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. As part of Healthy India Alliance, Pallium India participated in the meeting and was represented by Ms Preeti Chauhan (Head – National Policy, Pallium India).
After the welcome note, the convener of the event Dr. Ratna Devi (CEO & Co-Founder, DakshamA Health), introduced the first speaker Dr. Monika Arora (Director and Professor, Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation of India, Executive Director, HRIDAY and President Elect, NCD Alliance). Dr. Monika presented the Areas of Integration involving multisectoral approach centred around society with preventive and control measures in place. She highlighted their program for community conversations (Person with lived experiences-89 people) which helped build champions for the cause across communities. She requested support for an open letter to The Global Fund to act on the integration of NCDs, HIV, TB and Malaria in 2023-28 policy/programs.
Symposium on Palliative Care at Siliguri
Dr Pankaj Chowdhary, a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and a Palliative Care physician, was instrumental in organising a conclave on Palliative Care at Siliguri, West Bengal, on the 24th of September, 2022. He expressed desire to collaborate with Pallium India and with other institutions as well. There were 142 participants including doctors, medical personnel, NGOs, religious leaders, former shareholders, local dignitaries and many of the people directly affected. The different groups had all come down from nearby places like Siliguri, Darjeeling and Sikkim to attend the event and to support the cause. Dr Chowdhary intends to start an Outpatient, Inpatient and a Home based care from Shanti Nursing Home, Siliguri.
Among the important dignitaries invited were Dr M.R. Rajagopal (Chairman of Pallium India and Director of WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief), Dr Sushma Bhatnagar (Professor & Head of Onco-Anaesthesia & Palliative Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi and the President of IAPC), Dr AC Kataki, (Director of Dr B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati). Mr Rontu Sangma, (Regional Coordinator – North East, Pallium India) was also invited as a representative of Pallium India.
This is the first of such a kind of a big event in Siliguri for Palliative Care where you have participants from all walks of life. Indeed it has created positive vibes among the participants and also served to improve public awareness tremendously.
(Report prepared by Rontu Sangma, State Facilitation Team, Pallium India)
CME at Sri Guru Ram Das University, Amritsar
Under the guidance of Dean Dr A P Singh, Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences hosted two days CME on 26th and 27th July 2022, to commemorate World Head & Neck Cancer Day. World Head & Neck Cancer Day is observed to bring awareness in general public about Head & Neck Cancer.
Opioid availability workshops in Punjab and Jharkhand
On 25 August 2022, Pallium India organized an online workshop on Opioid Availability in Punjab, with support from Mr Sanjeev Garg, Joint Commissioner FDA Punjab.
In collaboration with Mrs Ritu Sahay (Director Director, State Drug Control Directorate – SDCD, Jharkhand) and Dr Sujit Kumar (Joint Director, SDCD Jharkhand), Pallium India organised an online workshop on Opioid availability in Jharkhand on September 5, 2022.
CAREERS / OPENINGS
Palliative Care Physician at Panha Lifecare, Mumbai
Staff Nurse at Ganga Prem Hospice, Rishikesh
Staff Nurse at Pallium India, Trivandrum
Executive – Virtual Education at Pallium India, Trivandrum
Speech Therapist at Pallium India, Trivandrum
Consultant Geriatrician / Palliative Physician at Kadamapuzha Hospital, Kottayam
VISIT OUR CAREERS PAGE:
https://palliumindia.org/category/career
In case of queries, please write to us: career@palliumindia.org
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
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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
Doesn’t modern technology offer enough options for communication if a doctor has a speech disability of 40% or more? Doesn’t medical profession have enough areas of work for people with disabilities to be part of it?
Sadly, the National Medical Commission’s 2019 regulations for graduate medical admission is blatantly non-inclusive. The matter is under consideration of the Supreme Court of India because an applicant with a speech defect following cleft lip and palate surgery was denied admission to MBBS course.
Thank you for reading our newsletter. Read previous issues here
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