September 2023
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Excellent news! Congratulations, Dr Ravi Kannan!
We are extremely delighted to begin this month’s newsletter with this piece of excellent news.
Oncologist Ravi Kannan, a recipient of India’s fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri and the director of Assam’s Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC), has been named one of the four winners of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel prize.
Read more on the Hindustan Times website
“In electing Ravi Kannan R. to receive the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the board of trustees recognizes his devotion to his profession’s highest ideals of public service, his combination of skill, commitment, and compassion in pushing the boundaries of people-centered, pro-poor health care and cancer care, and for having built, without expectation of reward, a beacon of hope for millions in the Indian state of Assam, thus setting a shining example for all.”
Read the announcement on the Ramon Magsaysay award website
Apply NOW! Admissions Open for Global Fellowship in Palliative Medicine (GFPM) 2024
Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), Pallium India, announces Global Fellowship in Palliative Medicine (GFPM) 2024
Last date for Application: 10 October 2023
Selection List publication: 30 November 2023
Course start date: 01 January 2024
Eligibility: MBBS / BDS
Testimonials
“For medical professionals keen on palliative care, especially staying connected in a community of like-minded doctors, TIPS’ GFPM course is ideal. My clinical skills dramatically improved, empowering me to address pain and symptom burdens.” – Dr Punithavathy Dhanasekharan, Asst Professor, Anesthesiology, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital Ltd. Coimbatore, TN
“If you are a doctor passionate about pursuing palliative care as a stand-alone specialty or even as a part of your chosen specialty, then the Global Fellowship would be of immense value.” – Dr Biju Gopi, Consultant Palliative Physician, Medical Trust Hospital, Ernakulam, Kerala
“Hands on training at pallium India is an eye opener and a wonderful experience with lifetime of memories. Fellowship has definitely enhanced my knowledge about palliative care.” – Dr Bindu Kesarmal, Registrar in Stroke medicine department, Russell’s Hall Hospital, England, UK
Read more and apply now: https://palliumindia.org/2023/08/global-fellowship-jan2024
In case of queries please contact: globalfellowship@palliumindia.org / +91 90726 20041
This Onam, let your compassion shine through.
Join hands with Pallium India, to make this Onam season truly meaningful. Your donation can light up the lives of those under our care and bring smiles to faces that need it the most.
Your contribution will provide essential medical aid, emotional support, and comfort to individuals who are battling challenges. Whether big or small, your donation will directly impact lives. Your act of kindness will resonate far beyond the festivities, reminding us all of the power of humanity.
To ease the process, we have launched an automated recurring donation feature on our donation page. Now you can donate on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis without any hassles or reminders.
Palliative Care Courses & Events
4 September 2023
6 weeks Certificate Course for doctors and nurses (CCPPM & CCPN) – at Trivandrum
Doctors and Nurses, join this six weeks certificate course in pain management and palliative care, at Trivandrum.
Start Date: 4 September 2023 (Monday)
Eligibility:
CCPPM: M.B.B.S or BDS with permanent registration with medical / dental council.
CCPN: Any nurse holding a recognised degree or certificate in nursing.
Venue: Pallium India, Aisha Memorial Hospital Building, Paruthikkuzhy, Trivandrum.
Register: https://palliumindia.org/2023/06/ccppm-ccpn-sep4
Contact us: education@palliumindia.org / (+91) 85899 98760
A palliative care course for Doctors & Nurses that can be learned as per convenience
‘Essentials of Palliative Care – India (EPCI)‘ – a course designed to help you learn at your convenience. You have 4 months to complete the course.
Join the course: https://palliumindia.org/essentials-of-palliative-care-india
Contact: learnersupport@palliumindia.org / + 91 85890 21637
Follow Pallium India on Social Media
Students Initiative in Palliative Care (SIPC) SANS-PAIN Inauguration
Students Initiative in Palliative Care (SIPC) – 3rd edition inauguration and official launch of SANS Pain (Students Against Needless Suffering and Pain). Trivandrum SIPC volunteers and NSS program officers of active SIPC units under APJ Abdul Kalam University and Kerala University can participate.
Click here to register: https://forms.gle/DRLa7kAy2FRbfc2n7
Click here to know more: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/medicines/access-to-medical-morphine/webinar12-14-0923brochure3.pdf
Register: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4FWT2AjYRMCD7L-S35fw5g
Webinar on Paediatric Palliative Care
Pallium India is delighted to offer a Free 2 day webinar on Paediatric Palliative Care for Medical Professionals (Doctors & Nurses) working with children.
This 3 hours (2 sessions, 1.5 hours each) gives an introduction to Paediatric Palliative Care and interdisciplinary collaboration in symptom management.
No: of sessions: 2
Session Dates: 9 September 2023 (Saturday) & 16 September 2023 (Saturday)
Time: 06:30 PM- 8:00PM (IST)
Basic eligibility
M.B.B.S/ BSc Nursing /GNM degree and working with children
Join this virtual conference from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. It is for free!
4th Annual US Celebration of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day Conference
Compassionate Communities: Together for Palliative Care
Dates: 3-4 October 2023
The conference will feature more than 40 faculty members over two half-days and will feature keynote presentations by Dr. M.R. Rajagopal from Pallium India and Pastor Corey L. Kennard from Ascension St. John Hospital.
Visit http://www.mskcc.org/whpcd more information
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day – 14 October 2023
This year World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) will be observed on Saturday, 14 October 2023, with the theme: Compassionate Communities: Together for Palliative Care.
WHPCD is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.
Register your event on the 2023 Event Map.
Read to know more about the day and how to get involved: https://www.thewhpca.org/world-hospice-and-palliative-care-day
IAPCON 2024
The 31st annual conference of Indian Association Of Palliative Care (IAPC), IAPCON 2024 will be held at the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Ahmedabad, from 9th February (Friday), to 11th February (Sunday), 2024.
The Pre-conference workshops will take place on Thursday, the 8th of February, 2024.
The theme of IAPCON 2024 is ‘Revisiting the domains of Palliative Care’.
The conference aims to enhance the delegates’ practise of palliative care by empowering them with the various aspects in Palliative Care for both cancer and non-cancer patients. Proposals are invited to conduct pre-conference workshops during IAPCON 2024.
Register early to avail the early bird registration offer.
For more information visit: https://www.iapcon2024.com
Plans afoot to ensure palliative care access to all those in need
As part of the newly introduced action plan of the state palliative care policy, community nurses and Janakeeya Aarogya Kendram teams in Kerala have been asked to identify and prioritize patients who are in need of palliative care. As per the plan, persons above 18 years of age will be classified into four categories bedbound, homebound, those with chronic illness on medication and active without illness and details entered in app ‘SHAILI’ by October 2023 to ensure that they have access to palliative care.
Preetu Nair writes in The Times of India
Congratulations to Ms Humairath Kadappurathaba, an anganwadi teacher for 44 years, and a caregiver in the Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep, who is the recipient of this year’s prestigious ‘Caregiver Award 2023’, presented by the National Program for Palliative Care, National Health Mission (NHM), Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep, Government of India (GoI).
Congratulations to Ms Vandana Mahajan (Cancer survivor and palliative care counsellor) who has been felicitated by the Honourable President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, at an event organised by the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) as part of their Asmita Icon – Season 2, which provides a platform for army wives who have been an inspiration and are contributing to the society having overcome their challenges to share their inspirational stories.
Health and humanity summit organized by MSF
On August 17, 2023, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) organized a one-day summit on Health & Humanity at Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi, India. This summit brought together various stakeholders, including civil society organizations, educational institutions, journalists, interns, and medical students, to discuss the challenges and developments in the field of health.
The event was attended by more than 150 people from different parts of the world, making it a diverse gathering.
Read the complete report by Dr. Preeti Chauhan, Head-National Policy, Pallium India
Palliative Care Sensitization at Aundh (Pune) on August 22
As per the MoU signed between Pallium India with National Health Mission (NHM), Maharashtra, Palliative Care centres are to be set up in the District Hospital of Pune and Aurangabad on a pilot basis.
Accordingly, a palliative care awareness session was conducted at Aundh Hospital on 22nd Aug 2023.
The program was attended by doctors, staff nurse, physiotherapist and social workers. The session commenced with self-introduction. Ms Sunanda Samal, Regional Facilitator at Pallium India, introduced the organization and its activities.
Dr Priyadarshini Kulkarni presented the session on “Introduction to Palliative care”. This was followed by an interactive Q&A session.
Palliative Care Awareness for Physicians
S.T Hospital and Annai Adhuragam, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, jointly organised a palliative care awareness program for physicians on August 13, S.T Hospital’s Conference Hall. Around 15 doctors representing various specialties participated in this interactive session.
During the event, Dr. Sudha Royappa (Director of the HealthSecure Foundation, Atlanta, USA), shared her expertise and addressed common misconceptions about Palliative Care. She successfully dispelled myths and provided valuable insights. Mr. Lalit S. (Regional Facilitator, Pallium India) discussed various awareness courses available for physicians, aiming to enhance their community service.
The turnout for the event was impressive, and the meeting served its purpose effectively by advancing Palliative Care knowledge among the attending physicians.
Video of the Month
Fixing roof is also palliative care!
If the roof is leaking all over because all the money in the household has been spent on treatment, wouldn’t it be ridiculous to dish out tablets and walk away? Our medical social workers and volunteers do what they can.
Click here to watch: https://youtube.com/shorts/MkXqDTxbxTg
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.
Workshop for Palliative Care Nurses
Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) Kerala chapter conducted a two-day workshop for all palliative care nurses in Kerala, on Aug 12 & 13, 2023 at KILA (Kerala Institute of Local Administration), Mulamkunnathkavu, Thrissur dist. Around 140 nurses from 11 districts attended the workshop, including 12 nurses from Pallium India.
The participants shared their own perspectives and varied experiences during the sessions, which was beneficial to everyone.
Discussions on the first day included: Basic care& procedure updation by Team Malappuram; Practical points in Geriatric care by Dr Ramla Beebi (PPCS Thrissur) and Sr Alice Stella Verginia (IPM Kozhicode); Nurses protocol group discussion.
The second day began with Nurses protocol presentation, followed by new medicine and applications by Dr Rajasree (Amrutha Institute of Medical Sciences). The event concluded with a presentation on the summary and the road ahead, by Sr Sini & Sr Shyni from IPM Kozhicode, and Sr Sheeba from Pallium India.
Unravelling Myths About Palliative Care
Palliative care has long been shrouded in myths and misconceptions about what it is and what it can offer. A direct consequence is that people who could benefit from it do not see it as a necessity, believe it does not apply to their situation, or look at it as end-of-life care. Guided by these perceptions, they rarely seek it out or consider it part of a treatment plan for long-term and/ or life-threatening illnesses or disabilities. This must change.
The goal of palliative care is to improve patient’s quality of life, helping manage pain and provide support in various ways.
Walk With The Weary: Life-changing Lessons in Healthcare
(Available in Paperback and Kindle formats, globally)
Dr Soumya Swaminathan tweets: “This book should be in the medical & nursing curriculum! Written with honesty, empathy, insight & based on his life’s experiences, [Dr Rajagopal] founder @palliumindia reminds us our first duty to patients is to relieve suffering. And how often we forget.”
In Walk with the Weary: Life-changing Lessons in Healthcare, Dr Rajagopal knits his own experiences as a doctor with stories of the unique lives of his many patients, asserting that medicine can bring comfort and security to those at their most vulnerable and provide them the opportunity to not only live healthy lives but to die with dignity.
Get your copy of “Walk With the Weary” here:
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/Walk-Weary-Dr-M-Rajagopal/dp/9393852448
Amazon.Com:
https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Weary-Life-changing-Lessons-Healthcare/dp/9393852448/
Aleph Book Company: https://www.alephbookcompany.com/book/walk-with-the-weary-life-changing-lessons-in-healthcare/
Flipkart: https://www.flipkart.com/walk-with-the-weary/p/itm681283c8fd982
If you have already read the book, please leave a review on the website or email it to us: info@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.
CAREERS / OPENINGS
For more openings across the country, visit our CAREERS page:
https://palliumindia.org/category/career
In case of queries, please write to us: career@palliumindia.org
Follow us on Social Media for updates
Contact us: info@palliumindia.org / 97467 45497
Check out upcoming events: https://palliumindia.org/events
Queries? Contact: info@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
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 receive Sahayatra monthly magazine by post, 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
Without this, palliative care is incomplete in LMICs!
Many years back, Ajin, a young active man from the coastal areas of Trivandrum dived into the sea for a swim, hit against a rock and became paralysed in all four limbs. Till then crazy about automobiles, his life has not been easy these years.
Right now Ajin and his family are struggling to build a home for himself and his mother.
We at Pallium India walk with him on his difficult journey. Our visitor-medical-student from USA, Abinav Jyotis, has started a crowdfunding program to support Ajin.
Meet Ajin and Abinav and hear what they have to say: https://gofund.me/4486a890
Thank you for reading our newsletter. Read previous issues here
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