Published on: December 29, 2024

Pallium India’s Facilitation Coordinator, Mr. John Surya, and National Head – Facilitation, Ms. Shalini A J, visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands to engage with key stakeholders and lay the groundwork for establishing palliative care services.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands have only one government medical college, located in the capital city of Port Blair. Its Directorate of Health Services (DHS) caters to the patients in the remote locations through 3 district hospitals, 4 Community Health Care Centers (CHCs), 22 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and 4 Urban Health Centers (UHCs). The UT has limited private clinics and overall it is lacking a dedicated palliative care framework.

The Mission Director of A&N Islands National Health Mission and the Health Secretary, Dr. Anil Agarwal, welcomed the idea of setting up government palliative care services in the islands. He also emphasized on the importance of ensuring the sustainability of palliative care once implemented. Dr. Agarwal suggested creating a formal action plan for the islands with the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) team at the Directorate of Health Services.

The Pallium India team then met with a very interested NCD team which included Dr. Robin (Special Consultant), Dr. Shiny Varghese (Nodal Officer), and Sujoy Dev (Finance Consultant). Dr. Suja Antony, Director of Health Services and Drug Controlling Authority, also welcomed the idea of integrating palliative care services into government hospitals and clinics.

It was heartening to know that G.B. Pant Medical College in the capital had oral morphine and was also conducting a weekly pain clinic. The Pallium India team also met the Medical Superintendent of the Medical College,  Dr. Saha and his team finalized an action plan of conducting workshops on opioid availability, training the doctors and nurses of the Medical College.

In addition to government facilities, the team visited three private clinics, including the Pillar Health Centre, Apollo Clinic, and Shyamala Clinic and encouraged them to get trained in palliative care and start delivering proper palliative care services to their patients. They were also encouraged to procure the required opioids to ensure pain relief for the needy patients.

These collaborative efforts aim to build a sustainable palliative care system across the islands, improving access to essential pain medicines and enhancing the quality of life for patients in Andaman & Nicobar. At the end of the trip, the first palliative care center in the islands was discovered and added to the Pallium India directory. Now patients who need palliative care in the islands can be referred to this centre.