Pallium India
Care Beyond Cure
* ~~~~~~~~~ *
! July 2016 !
* ~~~~~~~~~ *
http://palliumindia.org/2016/06/july-2016/
June 30, 2016
DEAR FRIENDS,
HEALTH MINISTRY’S DRAFT LAW CONFUSES BETWEEN EUTHANASIA AND WITHDRAWAL OF LIFE
SUPPORT [HTTP://HEALTH MINISTRY]
In an article titled “ Don’t Torture The Dying: Health ministry’s draft
law confuses between euthanasia and withdrawal of life support
[http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/dont-torture-the-dying-health-ministrys-draft-law-confuses-between-euthanasia-and-withdrawal-of-life-support/]
”, Dr M. R. Rajagopal writes in the _Times of India_ dated 20 June, 2016:
The Constitution of India guarantees life with dignity as a fundamental
right. Generally speaking, we enjoy this right. But it all changes if we get an
incurable disease. Or when we eventually wither and die of old age. In those
circumstances, we should still have the right to live the way we want to and
die where we want to. But we find that we no longer have any choice.
An Economist study found that India was one of the worst 15 countries
in the world to die in, coming 67th out of 80 in “quality of death”. In India,
as we near the end of life, we cease to be treated as human beings and become
mere containers of disease.
Until it is seen or experienced, it is not easy to understand the
degree of assault on dignity by inappropriate medical treatment in incurable
diseases. Typically, even if one is fully alert and able to take decisions for
oneself, one finds oneself stripped of that privilege.
Read the complete article
[http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/dont-torture-the-dying-health-ministrys-draft-law-confuses-between-euthanasia-and-withdrawal-of-life-support/]
–
ONE STEP FORWARD FOR THE NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PROGRAM OF INDIA.
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/ONE-STEP-FORWARD-FOR-THE-NON-COMMUNICABLE-DISEASE-PROGRAM-OF-INDIA/]
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NCD.jpg] ;
In what we see as an important step in the Government Program for
Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases, J. P Nadda, the Hon’ble
Health Minister, Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Health & Family
Welfare) and Dr Henk Bekedam, the Head of WHO (India), interacted with NCD
leaders from all over the country, at a meeting in Delhi on 22 June 2016.
Pallium India was pleased to be a part of this important event with
other members of the Healthy India Alliance – the conglomeration of
non-government organizations in the country, working in the field of
non-communicable diseases. Needless to say, palliative care forms an important
part of NCD control.
–
MINIMUM PALLIATIVE CARE STANDARDS FOR HEALTH CARE?
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/MINIMUM-PALLIATIVE-CARE-STANDARDS-FOR-HEALTH-CARE/]
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Scar-around-the-neck.jpg]
“If you have been in palliative care long enough in India, the sight of a
person with an ugly scar around the neck would not be unfamiliar to you.
Hanging is the preferred mode of attempted suicide in our country, and many
people are driven to it by unrelieved pain, the extent of which, in many
disease states, can be beyond an ordinary human being’s power of imagination.
The National Crime Records Bureau showed that 26,426 people in the country,
suffering from various ailments, chose to end their lives in 2013.”
Please see the special editorial
[http://www.jpalliativecare.com/article.asp?issn=0973-1075;year=2016;volume=22;issue=3;spage=239;epage=243;aulast=Rajagopal]
in the July-September 2016 issue of the Indian Journal of Palliative Care by
Dr M. R. Rajagopal, Chairman of Pallium India. To reduce the sad burden of pain
and suffering in the country, he argues, we should be demanding that healthcare
system at all levels must include basic palliative care satisfying some minimum
essential standards.
Read the open access article titled “ We Have a Responsibility
[http://www.jpalliativecare.com/article.asp?issn=0973-1075;year=2016;volume=22;issue=3;spage=239;epage=243;aulast=Rajagopal]
” published in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care.
–
TRAINING THE TRAINERS – WE ARE INCREASING CAPACITY!
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/TRAINING-THE-TRAINERS-WE-ARE-INCREASING-CAPACITY/]
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ToT.jpg] In a ;
bid to increase the capacity for advocacy and training in palliative care,
Pallium India organized a “training of trainers” program
[http://palliumindia.org/2016/06/capacity-building-for-the-future/] in Delhi ;
for a dozen “middle-level” palliative care champions in the country.
Over the three days, the focus was on empowering the participants on
how to facilitate learning, because we see all of them as not only clinicians,
but also teachers – for students, for fellow-professionals, and for the public
at large. The group also spent a lot of time understanding the current status
of the National Program in Palliative Care and the Amendment of the Narcotics
Act of India. The group brainstormed on our way forward.
We had done a similar exercise in Trivandrum last year, and the success
was phenomenal. One of the participants of the last year’s training, Dr Seema
Kunikullaya Rao, was one of the faculty members this time. She was joined by Dr
Sushma Bhatnagar from AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Nandini Vallath and Dr M. R. Rajagopal.
_Three participants demonstrating role play as a teaching tool – Dr.
Parul Prinja as the doctor, Dr Kumar Abhishek as the son and Professor Parveen
Kumar as the husband of a patient._
–
TRUE PALLIUM [HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/TRUE-PALLIUM/]
The word “palliative” is derived from the Latin word _pallium_, meaning
a cloak. The idea is that palliative care forms a protective covering, even if
the disease process continues. Well, what does the roof over a house have to do
with palliative care?
On our home visit, we had found bed-bound Ms P., her ailing husband and
two physically and mentally disabled daughters, literally being drenched by the
torrential June monsoons of Kerala. They had tried moving the bed here and
there to avoid getting wet, but the whole roof was leaking. There was
absolutely no escape.
What would you do in this case?
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/True-Pallium-Roof.jpg] ;
The situation brings to mind a question we had quoted in an earlier blog,
_Would a doctor fetch a pitcher of water for a thirsty patient?_
[http://palliumindia.org/2014/12/would-a-doctor-fetch-a-pitcher-of-water-for-a-thirsty-patient/]
Well, translated to the present context, the question was, would the
palliative care team just prescribe the necessary medications and walk away, or
would they do something about the leaky roof?
The volunteers from Uzhamalakkal, Ratheesh and Sreejith, and Medical
Social Worker, Sarath Mohan, led by our Advocacy Manager Babu Abraham, spent
their Sunday morning driving across to the home in the suburbs of Trivandrum
and manually putting up a _pallium_ over the humble home. The rain gods were on
their side – it started pouring only after the work was finished.
Ratheesh, Sreejith, Sarath, Babu: we are all so proud of your Sunday
act of love, initiative and compassion. The whole Pallium India team feels
relieved that, by your kind act, Mrs P. and her family can keep themselves and
their belongings dry even in the midst of the roaring monsoon.
–
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE ON PAIN MANAGEMENT AND PALLIATIVE CARE ADVANCES AT
DEHRADUN
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/05/INTERNATIONAL-UPDATE-ON-PAIN-MANAGEMENT-AND-PALLIATIVE-CARE-ADVANCES-AT-DEHRADUN/]
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dehradun-Scientific-Program.jpg]
The “ International Update on Pain Management and Palliative Care Advances
2016 [http://www.sgrrmc.com/iuppca2016/] “, organized by the Pain and ;
Palliative Care Unit, Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health
Sciences and the Indian Medical Association, Dehradun will take place on 25 &
26 JUNE 2016. The theme of the update is “Palliative Care-Everyone’s business”
and “Pain Relief-A Fundamental Human right”. VENUE: SGRR Institute of Medical
and Health Sciences, Patel Nagar, Dehradun 248001, Uttarakhand.
On June 25th, a workshop aimed at explaining in detail the NDPS Rules,
its amendment, procedure to obtain Recognized Medical Institution (RMI) status
for procuring and dispensing opioids etc. will be conducted, followed by a day
long conference on 26th June 2016. For more details, visit:
http://www.sgrrmc.com/iuppca2016/ [http://www.sgrrmc.com/iuppca2016/] ;
The speakers include Dr M R Rajagopal (Pallium India, Kerala), Dr
Sushma Bhatnagar (AIIMS, Delhi), Dr Anjum Khan Joad (Jaipur), Dr Gautam Das
(Daradia, Kolkata), Dr Brenda Ward (England), Dr Ann Thyle (Delhi), Dr Abir
Doger (England) and Dr Savita Butola (Jalandar) who will share their expertise
and path breaking ideas.
For registration and other details, please contact Dr Mayank Gupta
(Organizing Secretary): Ph.: 08171238996, Email: drm_gupta@xxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:drm_gupta@xxxxxxxxxxx] ;
[Click on the image to view the complete scientific program]
[http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dehradun-Scientific-Program.jpg]
–
DISCRIMINATION IN THE NAME OF A DIAGNOSIS
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/DISCRIMINATION-IN-THE-NAME-OF-A-DIAGNOSIS/]
Would anyone argue against a statement that people with chronic pain
generally suffer enormously through their lives? Except that they look okay and
that they may have normal life spans, is there any other reason why palliative
care people do not think they have anything to do with it?
Not life-threatening enough?
Even if all your activities, social interactions and even thinking
process are limited by the disease called chronic pain?
Read how a patient is afraid to visit a pain clinic
[http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2016/1/17/why-im-afraid-to-go-to-my-pain-clinic]
. We have seen this phenomenon, time and again.
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A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS – NEGLECT, BAD ADVICE OR IGNORANCE?
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/A-TRAGEDY-OF-ERRORS-NEGLECT-BAD-ADVICE-OR-IGNORANCE/]
[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/15360288.2016.1173757] In ;
a village, a small boy is bitten by a snake. A tragedy of errors ensues,
arising from a fatal combination of neglect, bad advice, wrong choices, and
ignorance.
“When there is a definite treatment for snake bite, this should not
have happened. Who do we blame? Whose mistake was it? What combination of
errors and wrong turns led to this tragic outcome?” Ms Latha Srikanth, Vice
Principal of Indrani College of Nursing, Puducherry, writes from personal
experience how the victim and family ended up running from this treatment to
that until it was too late to save the child.
Read the complete narrative titled “A Tragedy of Errors” published in
the _Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy_
[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/15360288.2016.1173757] . ;
The _Journal of Pain and Palliative care Pharmacotherapy_
[http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ippc20/current] is an indexed journal that has ;
made the narratives free access. The journal welcomes your Narratives on Pain,
Suffering and Relief. Tell your story to the world and help improve palliative
care awareness. If you have a story to narrate, share it with us. Write to
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
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AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/AN-IMPORTANT-CONVERSATION-TO-HAVE/]
The author asks her mother, “By the way, when I die, I want
this-and-this to be done. I don’t want that-and-that to be done. How about
you?” She notes that the answer came so naturally.
Knowing what misery can come out of inappropriate end of life care, no
doubt these conversations are so crucial. But for most people, it is not easy
to talk about death. Perhaps, it is not so difficult, after all. Please read
Death: An important conversation to have
[http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/death-an-important-conversation-to-have/article8780344.ece]
, published in _The Hindu_ by Jeena R. Papaadi, Pallium India’s Advocacy
Officer.
–
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION PROGRAM
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/THANK-YOU-FOR-SUPPORTING-OUR-CHILDRENS-EDUCATION-PROGRAM/]
Thank you, everyone who responded so warmly to our request: These
children need your support
[http://palliumindia.org/2016/05/these-children-need-your-support/] ;
Our target for 15th June was ₹150,000 (US $2300). We have received
₹175,000. That means, we even have something left over for the coming month. We
cannot thank you enough. You make us feel so strong.
A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!
–
CISCO EMPLOYEES CAN MAKE MATCHING DONATIONS
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/06/CISCO-EMPLOYEES-CAN-MAKE-MATCHING-DONATIONS/]
For the attention of our supporters working in CISCO: any donation that
you make to Pallium India will be matched by CISCO with an equal amount. Your
donation of $100 will mean that Pallium India’s work is supported by $200.
In addition, if you volunteer for Pallium India, CISCO pays for your
time to Pallium India. Every hour of your time donated in some fashion to
Pallium India means that CISCO would pay Pallium India a certain amount too.
–
INTERNATIONAL VISITORS [HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/PROGRAMS/VISITORS/]
We welcome international visitors at Pallium India and appreciate the
support from our colleagues around the world. We request that you contact us at
least 2 weeks prior to your visit so that we can make the necessary
arrangements. Sorry; we would discourage “drop-ins” for fear of the impact on
patient care.
We have observership programs for interested professionals and
students, collaborative visits, and long term placements. Click here
[http://palliumindia.org/programs/visitors/] for more information. Contact: ;
visitors@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:visitors@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
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SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR CERTIFICATE COURSES
[HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2016/03/SCHOLARSHIP-PROGRAM-FOR-CERTIFICATE-COURSES/]
Indo American Cancer Association (IACA), in association with TIPS (an
organ of Pallium India), is offering a scholarship to undergo a 6 weeks
residential/non residential palliative care training course at selected centres
in India:
* MNJ Institute of Oncology, Hyderabad, Telengana. Contact:
mnj.palliative@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:mnj.palliative@xxxxxxxxx] ;
* Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, Trivandrum, Kerala.
Contact: education@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:education@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
* TATA Medical Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Contact:
muckadenma@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:muckadenma@xxxxxxxxxx] , anuja.damani@xxxxxxxxx ;
[mailto:anuja.damani@xxxxxxxxx] ;
* Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Contact:
palliumindia.gcri@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:palliumindia.gcri@xxxxxxxxx] ;
* Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Jaipur, Rajastan.
Contact: palliumjaipur@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:palliumjaipur@xxxxxxxxx] ;
TYPE OF SCHOLARSHIP
* Depends on performance of the candidate in the telephonic interview
conducted by IACA interview panel.
* Full support to the outstation candidates includes – Travel,
accommodation, canteen, local travel, fees with cap on all items. Partial
support is given to the local candidates.
ELIGIBILITY
* Doctor – MBBS
* Nurse – BSc/GNM
Please click on the following link for more info:
http://www.iacaweb.org/palliative-care-course-web-portal/ ;
[http://www.iacaweb.org/palliative-care-course-web-portal/] ;
_For more information on our courses, please visit:
http://palliumindia.org/courses [http://palliumindia.org/courses] _ ;
–
JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE [HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PALLIUMINDIA]
Pallium India’s Facebook page has over 5000 Likes. We regularly post
articles related to palliative care from around the world. Click here to Like
our page [https://www.facebook.com/palliumindia] ! We’re also on Twitter: ;
@palliumindia [https://twitter.com/palliumindia] ;
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‘TAINTED’ MCI SET TO BE REPLACED BY MEDICAL EDUCATION COMMISSION
[HTTP://TIMESOFINDIA.INDIATIMES.COM/INDIA/TAINTED-MCI-SET-TO-BE-REPLACED-BY-MEDICAL-EDUCATION-COMMISSION/ARTICLESHOW/52892737.CMS]
_By Mahendra Singh_
The Medical Council of India, often in the news for controversial
approvals and corruption, is set to be replaced by a medical education
commission that will have three independent wings to oversee curriculum,
accreditation of colleges and medical ethics.
The new commission could be run by eminent persons from the medical
field, who will be allowed to continue their professional commitments as the
Niti Aayog panel that framed the guidelines felt this would ensure a wider
talent pool.
Continue reading->
[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tainted-MCI-set-to-be-replaced-by-medical-education-commission/articleshow/52892737.cms]
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FOR DOCTORS, PAIN OF HANDLING NARCOTIC DRUGS
[HTTP://WWW.THEHINDUBUSINESSLINE.COM/SPECIALS/PULSE/FOR-DOCTORS-PAIN-OF-HANDLING-NARCOTIC-DRUGS/ARTICLE8769642.ECE]
_By PT Jyothi Datta_
In December 2014, two psychiatrists were arrested in Punjab for
prescribing buprenorphine, an approved psychotropic drug used in pain
management and to treat opium addicts. More recently, another controlled
substance, ephedrine, hit the headlines, as an international story of alleged
drug smuggling unravelled out of Thane reportedly involving a listed company
and a Bollywood actress.
As such extreme incidents get reported around narcotic, psychotropic
and controlled substances, fear stalks drugmakers and doctors involved with the
production and prescription of these drugs for medical purposes. Fear is
palpable among doctors using such medicines for pain management or in
de-addiction programmes, says Atul Ambekar with the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences’ National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and Department of
Psychiatry.
“Doctors and drug peddlers should not be treated in the same manner,”
he says, calling for a system that differentiates legitimate people handling
these drugs (doctors, chemists, manufacturers) from peddlers.
Continue reading->
[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/specials/pulse/for-doctors-pain-of-handling-narcotic-drugs/article8769642.ece]
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DEFEATED BY AGE, BETRAYED BY KIN
[HTTP://TIMESOFINDIA.INDIATIMES.COM/CITY/LUCKNOW/DEFEATED-BY-AGE-BETRAYED-BY-KIN/ARTICLESHOW/52754645.CMS]
Lying on the side of the road, an elderly man suffering memory loss and
injuries was rushed to a private hospital on a distress call made by a woman
recently. With no family to claim the man who was oblivious of his identity,
the hospital treated him on human grounds but he is now struggling to find his
home.
The frequency of elderly persons being abused by their families,
abandoned or forced to leave home is on a rise with government homes adding to
the apathy.
“We have been able to treat and cure the man, but where will he live?
Such cases reflect the neglect elderly persons face not just at the hands of
family but also the society,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, consultant geriatric
physician and palliative care specialist at Astha Hospital which treated the
man.
“It is not a rare thing in our community now, we get such elderly
abused patients every week and they come in a deplorable condition with bed
sores and injuries,” he added.
Continue reading->
[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Defeated-by-age-betrayed-by-kin/articleshow/52754645.cms]
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BHUTAN TUTORS TAKE HOME THE MESSAGE OF PALLIATIVE CARE
[HTTP://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/NEWS/CITIES/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/BHUTAN-TUTORS-TAKE-HOME-THE-MESSAGE-OF-PALLIATIVE-CARE/ARTICLE8747849.ECE]
_By C. Maya_
In this tiny, land-locked country tucked away in the Himalayas, the
happiness of its people, their contentment in daily life and solace in
spirituality is a measure of the index of its economic development and good
governance.
More than three decades after Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye
Wangchuck, coined the term, Gross National Happiness (GNH) index and argued for
it to be the true measurement of Bhutan’s citizens’ levels of contentment
rather than the conventional Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the developed world
— France, Britain, and China in particular — is waking up to the realisation
that material gains need not necessarily mean happiness.
Another spritual experience.
For Phuntsho Om and Tara Devi, nursing tutors at the Government-owned
Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Science, Thimphu, their six-weeks’ course
in palliative care with Pallium India in Thiruvananthapuram has been another
spiritual experience — one they think will fit in well with their nation’s goal
of equitable socio-economic development, environmental conservation, cultural
preservation, physical and spiritual well-being of its citizens — the pillars
of GNH.
Continue reading->
[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/bhutan-tutors-take-home-the-message-of-palliative-care/article8747849.ece]
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THE BEST PLACE TO DIE IN INDIA
[HTTP://FRIDAYMAGAZINE.AE/MAKING-DIFFERENCE/THE-BEST-PLACE-TO-DIE-IN-INDIA-1.1846459]
As 18-year-old Reshma waits eagerly at the doorstep of her two-room
home for the team of caregivers, her father, 58-year-old Baburaj, whimpers
inside, mumbling of a severe headache and intense abdominal pain. It’s raining
heavily, and Seema Panicker and Shyna Suneesh, the two medical nurses of the
Pain and Palliative Care Society, walk quickly towards Reshma, armed with a
medical kit. Their infectious smiles and cheerful greetings immediately dispel
the tense mood in the house.
Diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer earlier this year, Baburaj, a chain
smoker, was referred to a palliative care unit in Kozhikode in the southern
Indian state of Kerala when his oncologist realised the futility of any
treatment.
Seema holds Baburaj’s hand and asks him if he has been taking his
medication on time. As she checks his vitals, he answers every question
diligently, visibly relieved on seeing her. Meanwhile, Shyna pores over his
medical file, then brings a fresh stock of medicines from the van outside. She
also hands over a bag of essential foods including rice and lentils to the
father and daughter.
‘Please sit down for a while,’ Baburaj pleads with the caregivers, his
eyes welling up with gratitude. Apart from his wife – who died in a train
accident years ago – and his two daughters, no one has been so caring towards
him.
Continue reading->
[http://fridaymagazine.ae/making-difference/the-best-place-to-die-in-india-1.1846459]
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WHO SAID DEATH HAS TO BE UNPLEASANT? DO THESE 16 THINGS NOW
[HTTP://ENGLISH.MANORAMAONLINE.COM/WELLNESS/HEALTH/EVERYDAY-HEALTH-DEATH-NEEDNT-BE-UNPLEASANT-DO-THESE-16-THING.HTML]
_By Dr Rajeev Jayadevan_
After birth, death is the only other certainty in life. While we pay a
lot of attention to the whole process of birth – starting from meticulous
pregnancy checkups, choosing the best hospital for delivery (five-star labour
rooms are now available at a premium), painless labour using epidural
anaesthesia, even installing elaborate designer nurseries at home, to name a
few – we almost completely ignore the other end of life, which is, death.
It is said that all the accumulated wealth in the world comes to no
avail at the point of death. From the richest to the poorest, men will have
only two wishes in their final moments: to be free from pain, and to be able to
sleep peacefully.
Why are we so obsessed with the quality of birth (which, incidentally,
none of us will ever remember in adulthood) but hardly bother about the quality
of death?
Continue reading->
[http://english.manoramaonline.com/wellness/health/everyday-health-death-neednt-be-unpleasant-do-these-16-thing.html]
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VENU’S STORY
[HTTP://WWW.EHOSPICE.COM/ARTICLEVIEW/TABID/10686/ARTICLEID/19623/LANGUAGE/EN-GB/VENU-S-STORY.ASPX]
_By Aneeja Mariam Joseph_
He was in agonizing pain and pleaded to a doctor for pain relief,
adding that he had not slept for several days. Not only was pain relief denied
to him, but he was also insulted by a doctor with the words, “What do you want
me to do? Sing a lullaby and rock you to sleep?”
Even after a year, the patient says that he cannot help being angry
with that doctor and cannot help feeling like wanting to stab him with a knife.
We as health care professionals can add insult to injury by our
behavior. We can be cruel not only by denying pain relief but also by refusing
to feel and empathize.
Why do health care professionals behave like that? Is it just
callousness or is it a sense of helplessness from not knowing what to do when
faced with pain and suffering?
Venu (not his real name) had come to us for pain management. He was
diagnosed with have transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and
underwent radical surgery and bileteral uretero sigmoidostomy in 2009. That was
the medical story, the past. All that was no longer relevant. Only the pain
was.
Continue reading->
[http://www.ehospice.com/articleview/tabid/10686/articleid/19623/language/en-gb/venu-s-story.aspx]
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THE PHARMACIST’S ROLE IN PALLIATIVE CARE – A PERSPECTIVE FROM BANGLADESH
[HTTP://WWW.EHOSPICE.COM/ARTICLEVIEW/TABID/10686/ARTICLEID/19802/LANGUAGE/EN-GB/THE-PHARMACIST-S-ROLE-IN-PALLIATIVE-CARE-A-PERSPECTIVE-FROM-BANGLADESH.ASPX]
_By Fazle-noor Biswas_
In caring for people with palliative care needs, pharmacists have much
to offer. They can work either as a clinical pharmacist, in the in-patient
department of a hospital, or as a community pharmacist, serving those with
palliative care needs in the community.
They provide medication reviews, education to people and families
seeking out their services, and advice to physicians about a person’s
pharmacotherapy.
A good relationship based on trust
A good relationship with those accessing care is very important to
providing total care. A trusting relationship with the pharmacist offers a
strong basis for the psychological and social support needed by the person
accessing care and their family.
The pharmacist, along with other healthcare professionals, can support this
person and their family members in coping with the difficult situation and
taking the right decisions in these situations.
Continue reading->
[http://www.ehospice.com/articleview/tabid/10686/articleid/19802/language/en-gb/the-pharmacist-s-role-in-palliative-care-a-perspective-from-bangladesh.aspx]
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THE WORDS WE USE
[HTTP://WWW.EHOSPICE.COM/CANADAENGLISH/ARTICLEVIEW/TABID/10678/ARTICLEID/19758/LANGUAGE/EN-US/THE-WORDS-WE-USE.ASPX]
_By Pallium Canada_
Supportive Care…Supportive Oncology…The Comfort Team…The Butterfly Team
(as may be heard in pediatrics). Why is there so much resistance to the use of
the “P” word – palliative? The truth is, palliative care might not be what many
people think it is.
Language provides us with a tapestry of tools for communication and
understanding. In palliative care, the use of poetic license is certainly no
less than in any other fields of medicine. However, the words we use can be
confusing. As an example of this, there are several reasons commonly cited for
the often observed disconnect between patient wishes and the care they actually
receive. These include fragmentation in the health care system and poor
coordination between care providers. However, one of the biggest factors may be
our cultural reluctance to talk about death, or to use the “P” word.
Continue reading->
[http://www.ehospice.com/canadaenglish/articleview/tabid/10678/articleid/19758/language/en-us/the-words-we-use.aspx]
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I DIDN’T LIKE IT, BUT THIS WAS THE DEATH SHE CHOSE
[HTTPS://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/NATIONAL/HEALTH-SCIENCE/I-DIDNT-LIKE-IT-BUT-THIS-WAS-THE-DEATH-SHE-CHOSE/2016/06/20/5ED57AD0-025A-11E6-9D36-33D198EA26C5_STORY.HTML#]
_By Cindy Schweich Handler_
I hover expectantly over Ellen, and she looks up from her iPad, her
eyes shiny. The device is a birthday present she asked my husband, Harry, and
me to get for her six months earlier, and I’m glad we did so that she can now
distract herself with old “M*A*S*H” episodes. “I’m lucky you were my
mother-in-law,” I blurt. She doesn’t blanch at my referring to her in the past
tense; we both know that, in light of her imminent kidney failure, she won’t be
my mother-in-law much longer.
“My children all picked wonderful life partners,” she replies evenly,
and smiles. It’s a nice sentiment, though after nearly 30 years of being her
daughter-in-law, I want to hear something more personal, a reminder of what we
meant to each other that I can play over in my mind when she’s gone. But it’s
crowded in my third-floor guest room, with Harry and Jennifer, Ellen’s home
health aide, looking on, and it feels too awkward to prompt her any further.
From her perspective, this is not the time to get mired in sentimentality.
Things are working out according to her plans.
Continue reading->
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/i-didnt-like-it-but-this-was-the-death-she-chose/2016/06/20/5ed57ad0-025a-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.html#]
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THE PAIN PROTOCOL
[HTTP://WWW.NEWINDIANEXPRESS.COM/MAGAZINE/THE-PAIN-PROTOCOL/2016/06/11/ARTICLE3474330.ECE1]
_By Rupamudra Kataki_
“Death be not proud, though some have called thee… much pleasure, then
from thee, much more must flow…” One of the greatest 16th century metaphysical
poets John Donne says in the sonnet Death Be Not Proud that death has no reason
to be proud of its invincibility, for it brings many pleasures to those whom it
releases from the clutches of earthly sufferings.
Six hundred years later, those who are suffering from excruciating
pain, look forward to death as their saviour. For a nation that ranks number 67
out of 80 countries in the 2015 Quality of Death Index of the Economist
Intelligence Unit, death for many is a choice, not an option in India.
Continue reading->
[http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/The-pain-protocol/2016/06/11/article3474330.ece1]
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PALLIATIVE CARE INFORMATION CENTRE [HTTP://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/INFO-CENTRE]
Contact Pallium India’s Information Centre (9 am to 12 noon) for
information related to palliative care and about establishments where such
facilities are available in India. Telephone: +91-9746745497 or E-mail:
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Address: Pallium India, Arumana Hospital, Perunthanni, Trivandrum
For more details, please visit: http://palliumindia.org/info-centre/ ;
[http://palliumindia.org/info-centre/] ;
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PARTING SHOT
Meet Swapna Augustine from Pothanicad, Kerala.
Born without arms, she paints using her toes.
THANK YOU, DR PSM CHANDRAN, FOR INTRODUCING SWAPNA TO US.
![http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NCD.jpg]](http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NCD.jpg] ){kind=link}
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![http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/True-Pallium-Roof.jpg]](http://palliumindia.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/True-Pallium-Roof.jpg] ){kind=link}
