December 2024
Welcome to a new edition of Pallium India’s newsletter. Thank you for joining us. Here you can find updates from the palliative care world, upcoming events including training for professionals and volunteers, interesting articles, career opportunities and so on.
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This December – Get Involved in Christmas Giving and Celebrate Compassion!!
This Season, we invite you to sponsor a ‘Box of Joy‘ for the patients and their families in our care with just ₹1500 for one family.
Every box will bring a sense of joy, fulfillment and warmth to the ones who need it the most.
What’s Inside ?
- A plum Cake
- Chocolates, Snacks & Dry Fruits
- Christmas Greeting card
- Medicines for Patients
- Toys for pediatric patients
Congratulations, Poonam Bagai
Ms. Poonam Bagai (Founder & Chairman, CanKids) was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at PHOCON 2024 for her dedication and service to children with cancer and their families. Her passion continues to be a source of inspiration.
Poonam is also Vice Chairman of Pallium India Trust.
Heartiest Congratulations, Poonam Bagai!
Upcoming Events, Trainings & Conferences
Online Certificate Course in Palliative Care
Palliative Care Accessibility Core Training
IAPCON 2025
Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS), Pallium India
| Beneficiaries reached till October 2024: | 27,270 | |
| Palliative Care centres / services catalysed: | 211 | |
| Stakeholders trained (virtual and onsite): | 10,985 |
Openings
Regional Facilitator – North India
Staff Nurse at Pallium India, Thiruvananthapuram
Assistant Manager – Social Work at Pallium India, Thiruvananthapuram
Pediatrician at Trivandrum
Palliative Care Physician at PalCare, Mumbai
Palliative Care Nurse at PalCare, Mumbai
Nursing Staff In-charge at Sneh Sawali Care Centre, Aurangabad
For more openings, visit our CAREERS page:
https://palliumindia.org/category/career
In case of queries, please write to us: career@palliumindia.org
Stay tuned for palliative care news, views and updates
International
A Ripple Effect of Empathy
Avtar Singh Cheema, Founder, Palliative Peace, writes:
My Transformative Experience at the First Emirates Palliative Care Conference
As I reflect upon my extraordinary journey to the First Emirates Palliative Care Conference in Abu Dhabi, a profound sense of gratitude washes over me for the remarkable individuals who made this experience possible. It all began with Dr. Neil Nijhawan, whose recognition of Palliative Peace’s work in the resource-poor settings of rural Punjab ignited the spark that led me to this global stage. His unwavering support and encouragement have been instrumental in my growth as a palliative care counsellor.
Upon receiving the invitation to speak at the conference, I was filled with both excitement and trepidation. The opportunity to share our work with pioneers in the field of palliative care was a dream come true, but I also knew the responsibility that came with such a platform. With renewed determination, I immersed myself in preparing my presentation, drawing upon my experiences and the lessons learned from our team at Palliative Peace.
Palliative care integration into humanitarian settings
The 15th webinar, hosted by PallCHASE on October 23-24, 2024, coincided with the global celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The focus was on the tenth anniversary of the World Health Assembly (WHA) 2014 Resolution, assessing how well palliative care is being integrated into humanitarian settings and considering future directions. The webinar attracted over 50 participants from more than 15 countries.
The webinar opened by honoring the legacy of Dr. Robert Twycross, a pioneer in palliative care, who had a profound impact on pain management and palliative pharmacology, mentoring future leaders and shaping global practices.
Video of the Month
An interview with Dr Rajagopal (in Malayalam)
Click here to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7YM64lR0FM
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.
NATIONAL
Bridging Gaps: Expanding Access to Cancer Care in India
The ECHO India Partner Launch Training & TOT (Training of Trainers) event, held on October 8th and 9th, 2024, at The Suryaa, New Delhi, was a pivotal moment in India’s journey towards improving cancer care. The event brought together healthcare professionals, experts, and stakeholders to discuss, train, and collaborate on expanding access to quality cancer care across the country.
The event was graced by the presence of esteemed figures such as Dr. G K Rath, renowned oncologist and former head of NCI-India and DRBRAIRCH-AIIMS; Dr. L Swasticharan, Additional Deputy Director General (NCD) and Director EMR, MoHFW; and Dr. Rangarao Rangaraju, Chairman of Paras Cancer Center. Pallium India was represented by Dr. Preeti Chauhan, Sr Sheeba, and Dr. Hashmath Farhaana.
Enhancing Palliative Care: A Workshop in Nagercoil
Pallium India, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Apex Skill Development Centre (TNASDC), initiated a series of workshops aimed at increasing palliative care awareness across Tamil Nadu. The inaugural workshop was held on August 31, 2024, in partnership with Dr. Jeyasekharan Medical Trust, Nagercoil, with 111 participants from local nursing colleges and hospitals.
This successful event marks the beginning of a series aimed at integrating palliative care into healthcare services in Tamil Nadu.
Beautiful Kashmir, State Elections and a Palliative Care Training
Pallium India, in collaboration with Hakim Sanaullah Specialist Hospital and Haneefa Nursing College, conducted a Foundation Course in Palliative Medicine and Palliative Nursing from 23rd to 28th September 2024.
The course was organised at Haneefa Nursing College, Sopore, a small city a couple of hours from the city of Srinagar. This program came to life thanks to the guidance of Dr. Shad Saleem, a visionary who has been practising palliative care in Kashmir for the last three decades.
Reports / News / Articles
Rithu – A Day of Hope, Joy, and Togetherness
On October 31, 2024, the Recreational Hall of Sree Avittam Thirunal (SAT) Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, came alive with laughter, warmth, and a sense of unity as it hosted a memorable Parent Support Group meeting, Rithu. Organized by the Pediatric Palliative Care Department of Pallium India, this event was a heartfelt initiative to bring together families, professionals and caregivers, fostering an environment of support, sharing and celebration.
Palliative care awareness session at Military Hospital, Pangode
On October 26th, 2024, a team from Pallium India, including Dr. Sunil Kumar M.M. (Director-in-charge, Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, TIPS), Dr. Amirtha Thampi (Head, Clinical Services), and Dr. Tony (Palliative Care Physician-in-charge of Military Hospital OP), conducted an awareness session on palliative care at Military Hospital, Pangode. Dr. Sunil Kumar led the session that was attended by around 20 healthcare professionals from the Military Hospital and various polyclinics.
The session was interactive, providing insights into palliative care and its benefits. Following the presentation, participants received a poster outlining who can benefit from palliative care, the contact information for Pallium OP, and details about the OP day and timings for easy referral. The session fostered an engaging discussion, and there is hope that the awareness raised will lead to an increase in referrals from both Military Hospitals and polyclinics.
Every Child Everywhere
Pallium India’s guest blogger, Dr Spandana Rayala (Pediatric Palliative Specialist, Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice, Kuwait), writes on the occasion of Children’s Day, November 14, 2024:
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela
As global conversations about parenting and child empowerment gain momentum, we must ask ourselves: How can we better serve all children, especially those facing serious illness?
A remarkable achievement in the past two decades is the reduction of childhood mortality by more than half. However, the risk of dying for a child is 80 times more in the country with the highest mortality than one born in the country with the lowest mortality (UN IGME Report, 2023). Even more striking is the fact that more than 97% of the 21 million children requiring palliative care live in low and middle-income countries (Global Atlas of Palliative Care, 2020). The data demonstrates that where a child lives still largely determines how they might die.
The Big Divide: Access to Medicines, TRIPS, and Patents in the Developing World
This article series by Dr. Preeti Chauhan continues to draw upon the foundational knowledge presented during the five-day training on “Access to Medicines, TRIPS, and Patents in the Developing World.” Day Two of the training offered valuable insights into the pharmaceutical industry, with presentations by Dr. Aashna Mehta, Reji K. Joseph, and Dr. Gargeya Telakapalli.
In this instalment, we will delve into the journey of medicines from lab to shelf to community, a topic expertly presented by Dr. Gargeya Telakapalli.
Join us in making India pain-free! Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
Book of the Month
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief
Francis Weller
Noted psychotherapist Francis Weller provides an essential guide for navigating the deep waters of sorrow and loss in this lyrical yet practical handbook for mastering the art of grieving. Describing how Western patterns of amnesia and anesthesia affect our capacity to cope with personal and collective sorrows, Weller reveals the new vitality we may encounter when we welcome, rather than fear, the pain of loss. Through moving personal stories, poetry, and insightful reflections he leads us into the central energy of sorrow, and to the profound healing and heightened communion with each other and our planet that reside alongside it.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow explains that grief has always been communal and illustrates how we need the healing touch of others, an atmosphere of compassion, and the comfort of ritual in order to fully metabolize our grief.
Walk with the Weary – by Dr M R Rajagopal
A masterclass in how to care for others deeply and compassionately no matter who they are, Walk with the Weary is simultaneously the story of Dr Rajagopal’s life and his calling and the world of Indian palliative care.
Palliative Care Telehealth
Call us: +91 964 588 4889 / +91 860 688 4889
PARTING SHOT
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional: The resilience of a homemaker
Anjali Krishnan. R, Officer – Projects and Data, Pallium India, writes in ehospice:
In the inpatient unit, I met a 45-year-old woman whom I will call Iris, a flower symbolizing courage, hope and faith. She is a wife and a mother of two adults. As we stepped into her room, she welcomed us with a gentle handshake and a sweet, radiant smile.
Suddenly, Iris clasped Dr. Raj’s hand, bowed her head, became silent for a while and mumbled a prayer from the Holy Bible; then turned to us with a glowing smile and said, “I was eagerly waiting to see you—the man who dedicates his life to alleviating pain and restoring dignity and smiles to those who suffer.” In that poignant moment, my eyes filled with tears—tears not of sorrow, but of joy and quiet pride as we witnessed the beauty of her resilience.
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