Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS) is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief.
TIPS is based in Trivandrum, Southern Kerala and aims to perform the following functions:
- Run a clinical service developing and operating community oriented palliative care services including service of local volunteers and home visits. It is hoped that this service will be a model for others from the region to learn from and emulate. It will give free treatment including free drugs for all poor patients (We expect more than 75% of our patients to fall into this category).
- Perform governmental advocacy with Government of India as well as with individual state governments to improve access to pain relief by
- endeavouring to ensure implementation of the amended Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of India, namely, Narcotic Amendment Act 2014. It is hoped that the amended Act will get implemented without bringing in additional procedural barriers.
- working with the dozen palliative care centres outside Kerala, including many in north and north east of India, combine their work of palliative care delivery with state government advocacy.
- Run educational programs in Pain and Palliative Medicine for South Asia.
- Training the trainers courses for doctors and nurses
- 6 weeks course for doctors and nurses.
- 10-day foundation course for doctors
- 6 weeks course for social workers and other paramedical personnel
- 3 tier training program for volunteers.
- Short training programs for medical students.
