Pallium India
Care Beyond Cure
* ~~~~~~~~~ *
! June 2018 !
* ~~~~~~~~~ *
https://palliumindia.org/?p=7769
June 1, 2018
WHY ACCESS TO MORPHINE IS A HUMAN RIGHT
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/WHY-ACCESS-TO-MORPHINE-IS-A-HUMAN-RIGHT/]
“That millions of sick people throughout low-and-middle-income
countries suffer horrendous pain because they cannot access the morphine they
need is a tragedy – the result of unwarranted fears and a failure of
governments to care for those most in need”, says Mr Jonathan Leighton,
Executive Director, Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering
(OPIS), in the IDHDP newsletter.
Please read the whole article: Why access to morphine is a human right
[https://idhdp.com/media/531978/why-access-to-morphine-is-a-human-right_final.pdf]
–
THE BBC ON LACK OF PALLIATIVE CARE IN INDIA
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/THE-BBC-ON-LACK-OF-PALLIATIVE-CARE-IN-INDIA/]
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswgkf] “A chronic lack of opioid ;
drugs leaves millions of people throughout the developing world to live and die
in unrelenting, excruciating pain. It is a particularly bitter irony in India,
which historically had the world’s biggest legal opium poppy industry.”
Listen to the broadcast by BBC World Service on the lack of opioids and
access to palliative care in India: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswgkf ;
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswgkf] ;
Also please read the article by Justin Rowlatt, South Asia
correspondent, BBC: Why are so many people denied the painkillers they need?
[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44152429] ;
Thank you, Laurence Knight, Justin Rowlatt and Varun Nayar of British
Broadcasting Corporation, for bringing the issue to global attention and
supporting our efforts to overcome it.
–
INDIA’S HEALTHCARE IS AMONG THE MOST UNSATISFACTORY IN THE WORLD: STUDY
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/INDIAS-HEALTHCARE-IS-AMONG-THE-MOST-UNSATISFACTORY-IN-THE-WORLD-STUDY/]
India’s healthcare is among the most unsatisfactory in the world –
145th among 195 countries – both in terms of quality and accessibility of
health care, behind most of our neighbors like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Bhutan, according to a study published in the Lancet, Healthcare Access and
Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care
in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a novel analysis from the Global
Burden of Disease Study 2015
[https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(17)30818-8.pdf]
The five countries that topped the list are Iceland (scoring 97.1),
Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland and Australia. India’s score is
an abysmal 41.2. in particular, India is reported to have done poorly in the
areas of tuberculosis, rheumatic heart disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke,
testicular and colon cancers and chronic renal disease.
On the positive side, India’s score improved from 24.7 in 1990 to 41.2
in 2016. But at the same time, the inequities have grown too, with a widening
gap between the highest and lowest scores. Goa and Kerala do the best with more
than 60 points, while Assam and UP are at the lowest, each below 40.
When we reflect on the Economist’s Quality of Death index
[https://palliumindia.org/2015/10/frightening/] , it is obvious that the ;
quality of end-of-life care, comparatively, is a lot worse than general
healthcare in India – at 167th place out of 180 countries.
LONG WAY TO GO!
_(Photo by Ruth Fremson)_
–
WE LOVE CHILDREN, BUT WE CAN BE VERY CRUEL TO THEM.
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/WE-LOVE-CHILDREN-BUT-WE-CAN-BE-VERY-CRUEL-TO-THEM/]
Quoting an eye-opener by Dr Sudha Sinha and colleagues in the Journal
of Palliative Medicine, _Cancer Treatment and End-of-Life Care_
[https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jpm.2017.0695] , Pallium India’s ;
friend, Dr Aju Mathew writes: “75% of patients in this study from a government
hospital in India received end-of-life chemo within 30 days of their eventual
death. 50% within a week. Similar numbers in West are ~ 20% and 10%
respectively.”
Thank you, Dr Sudha Sinha and colleagues, for giving visibility to
these cruel figures.
Read: _Cancer Treatment and End-of-Life Care_
[https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jpm.2017.0695] ;
–
PALLIUM INDIA HAS SHIFTED TO VATTAPPARA
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/PALLIUM-INDIA-OFFICE-IS-SHIFTING/]
Pallium India has shifted its inpatient / outpatient clinics, training
centre & administrative office to Vattappara, Thiruvananthapuram. We are
available at the new address from June 1, 2018.
PALLIUM INDIA TRUST,
VP 80/13
GOLDEN HILLS,
VENKODE P.O.
VATTAPPARA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 695028.
For more information, please contact Babu Abraham (9746745502) or
Information Centre (9746745497).
To reach the new location from Vattappara junction. Close to the main
entrance of PMS dental College, take a turn to the left. You will find us in
about a hundred meters.
–
WORLD HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE DAY 2018 THEME ANNOUNCED: PALLIATIVE CARE –
BECAUSE I MATTER
[HTTP://WWW.EHOSPICE.COM/ARTICLEVIEW/TABID/10686/ARTICLEID/23721/LANGUAGE/EN-GB/VIEW.ASPX]
_Kate Francklin, The WHPCA_
“You matter because you are you and you matter until the end of your
life.” – Dame Cicely Saunders
The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance has announced the theme
for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2018: Palliative Care – Because I
Matter.
This theme was selected following an open consultation with people directly
affected by serious illness, WHPCA members and supporters, and global hospice
and palliative care advocates.
Read more…
[http://www.ehospice.com/ArticleView/tabid/10686/ArticleId/23721/language/en-GB/View.aspx]
–
CENTRE’S NOD TO PROVIDE NARCOTIC DRUGS TO TREAT CANCER PATIENTS IN PUNJAB
[HTTPS://WWW.THESTATESMAN.COM/CITIES/CENTRES-NOD-PROVIDE-NARCOTIC-DRUGS-TREAT-CANCER-PATIENTS-PUNJAB-1502642666.HTML]
_Pankaj Dhiman_
The Central government has agreed to provide easy availability of
certain narcotic drugs and other opioids for terminally ill cancer patients.
An assurance in this regard was given by Union Ministry of Finance in a letter
to Punjab’s Industry and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora who lost his wife
to this dreaded ailment.
The letter promises to remove all regulatory barriers perceived as
hindrances to the availability of morphine and other opioids for genuine
medical needs such as pain relief or palliative care and de-addiction
treatment.
Read more…
[https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/centres-nod-provide-narcotic-drugs-treat-cancer-patients-punjab-1502642666.html]
–
NHM TAMIL NADU IS ALL SET!
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/NHM-TAMIL-NADU-IS-ALL-SET/]
Tamil Nadu is putting all its efforts to integrate palliative care into
their healthcare system. They are now training their nurses from five
districts. These nurses, being the most vital members in a multidisciplinary
team, are here at our Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences (TIPS) for
the six weeks course which began on May 15.
We thank Tamil Nadu NHM mission director Dr Darez Ahmed IAS, Dr Jerard
M Selvam DD (NCD), Dr Jayashree (State Program Co-ordinator -NPPC), Dr Abhijith
Jose (Consultant) and the entire team for this initiative and for setting a
model for all other states.
–
ANDHRA PRADESH COMES TOGETHER FOR PALLIATIVE CARE DEVELOPMENT
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/AP-TOGETHER-PALLIATIVECARE/]
_Sumitha T. S., Project Executive at Pallium India, writes:_
My third visit to Andhra Pradesh, and my first to Vijayawada, was to
attend an opioid availability workshop. Quite different from the usual scene,
this workshop was led by the Director General, Drugs & Copy Rights, Andhra
Pradesh, and CEO of Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, Dr Ravi Shankar IPS, a rare
combination of healthcare and bureaucracy. Dr Nandini Vallath (Consultant-
TIPS), Dr NS Raju (Age Care Foundation-Pallium India), Dr Vidya Viswanath (Asst
Professor, HBCH&RC), Dr MBR Prasad (Director, AP Drugs Control Administration)
and Dr Ravi Shankar IPS were the key speakers. After the presentations, came
the panel discussions. The participants included doctors in various
specialities, pharmacists, dealers and concerned government officials from
across the state.
Many questions were raised, regarding Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances (NDPS) Amendment Act (2014), NDPS 1, NDPS 2 and transport license in
the state of AP and palliative care training.
By the end of the day, we were hopeful that palliative care will be
taken forward by the state with the support of Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust which
is already planning to include “palliation” in their empanelled hospitals.
Age Care Foundation, our collaborators in AP, received Recognized
Medical Institution (RMI) status after meeting all the criteria recommended in
the amended NDPS Act. This now helps them stock and dispense less expensive but
strong opioid analgesics meant to relieve excruciating pain.
Following the workshop, a sensitization meeting for doctors was
facilitated by Dr Ramanamma through IMA Vijayawada. Dr Nandini Vallath gave a
talk on palliative care and emphasized the importance of communication and
symptom management. The session ended by 10:00 pm and then the team travelled
to Visakhapatnam. Our train was at 1:25 a.m. but none of us was tired, because
the day had given us a lot of hope – a lot of hope indeed, for palliative care
in Andhra Pradesh.
The next day, in a hospice at Vizag, we met a young Mathematics
graduate from Odisha. She speaks Oriya, Hindi, English, and a little Telugu. I
had a very interesting conversation with her. She said, everything in this
world is related to Maths. I informed her that my grandfather, who was a maths
teacher, used to tell us the same. I learnt an Oriya phrase from her: “_tome
kemethy acho_” which meant “how are you”. She kept asking for her “favourite
smiling doctor” – Dr Vidya Viswanath. It had been two days since Dr Vidya came
to the hospice. I apologized and told her that her doctor was travelling to
attend some important meetings.
This young girl in end stage with metastasis had reached AP with pain
but now she is free from pain. This could be why Dr Vidya became close to her
heart, as she had given her pain medications.
As I speak to her, I reflect… These very effective and affordable pain
medications can relieve suffering, but do not reach all the people who need it.
Why is it that we are unable to make _everyone_ pain-free? Why should one
travel all the way from Odisha to Andhra Pradesh? Why can’t all doctors be
close to their patients? Does pain include only physical pain? Absolutely NO.
This maths graduate was reading her favourite book in the hospice when we were
there. Mrs Satya, a social worker and volunteer enquired about her favourite
dish and prepared it for her the very next morning. The young patient’s smiling
face reminds us of so many people who could not smile at this stage of their
illness. This hospice is a pivot of caring doctors, nurses and volunteers.
In the evening my colleague and I went for a walk in the beach at
Vizag. The entire beach was spic and span, in spite of the crowd – this is
something we should learn from VUDA (Visakhapatnam Urban Development
Authority). Dustbins are placed at fixed distances. I managed to get scolded in
Telugu from a man when I unknowingly dropped a piece of paper into his black
bag, mistaking it for a dustbin. However, I am glad it happened, as he also
directed me to a real dustbin rather than nowhere.
The delicious food of AP is also worth a mention, with a special thanks
to _pessaratu dosa_ made by aunty. Our thanks to Satish (our project manager)
who took us for a very special tea, to the sea port and to a Punjabi Dhaba, and
to Raju sir for providing us with an Andhra meal. “_Good food is to be enjoyed
always!_”
On our last working day in AP, we had a meeting with Sathya Sai Seva
Trust. Dr Raju explained to them about palliative care and sought their help in
reaching out to the common man. The way he advocates for palliative care is so
convincing that nobody could say no.
We request you all to help us reach out to everyone who is enduring
health-related suffering, in every part of our country.
I learnt a lot from Dr Raju, Dr Vidya, Dr Ravi Shankar IPS, Dr Nandini
Vallath, Dr Ramanamma, Mrs Sathya, hospice and Sathya Sai Seva Trust. Thank you
all for giving us a space and special thank you to Satish for putting in all
his efforts to make this happen.
–
PALLIATIVE CARE CENTRE INAUGURATED AT UTTARKASHI
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/PALLIATIVE-CARE-CENTRE-INAUGURATED-AT-UTTARKASHI/]
As part of the collaborative efforts by Pallium India and Ganga Prem
Hospice [http://www.gangapremhospice.org/] to improve palliative care ;
awareness and access, the first palliative care centre in Uttarakhand was
opened in the District Hospital of Uttarkashi on 14th April, 2018. The OPD was
inaugurated by Gangotri MLA Gopal Singh Rawat and District Magistrate Ashish
Chauahan. Gopal Singh Rawat said that patients suffering from serious diseases
and near end of life will be looked after in the new palliative care centre. He
emphasized the importance of providing special attention and treatment to
patients suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses so they do not feel
abandoned or ignored.
Two male and female nurses have already been employed in this centre.
Efforts are on to engage two more nurses for efficient functioning. A doctor
too will be brought in to administer morphine, etc. The aim of the centre is to
ensure that patients in their end of life are cared for with love, patience and
attention.
This is a very promising development in Uttarakhand, and we hope this
will pave the way for further progress in the field of palliative care
delivery.
_A Cancer Camp was held on April 12, 2018, organized by Pallium India
and Ganga Prem Hospice._
News report in Hindi on the event…
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3NyL7UxX0c] ;
–
GOODBYE, DEAR LINI [HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/GOODBYE-DEAR-LINI/]
Nurse Lini Sajeesh from Perambra in Kerala gave up her life in the
service of the sick and ailing.
It was the first outbreak of an endemic
[https://www.news18.com/news/india/hero-of-perambra-the-nurse-who-gave-her-life-to-care-for-nipah-victims-1755299.html]
of an hitherto almost-unknown virus – the Nipah virus. For Lini, it must have
been just another patient with fever. She nursed the person with compassion;
she clearly was close enough to contract the viral infection and sadly, died.
Lini, we revere you; we wish all strength for your family to cope with
the loss. We pray for you and for them.
How many Linis will we lose – Nipah virus now, something else later?
There is a pattern to our reaction to calamities like this: a lot of emotion, a
lot of tears, and soon, we forget. And we bring out the compassion and tears at
the next calamity.
Pallium India swears to do something at least in our own work setting.
Are we protecting our nursing and other clinical staff enough? Are enough
safety measures in place? We swear to look into these things and to establish a
system that will sustain itself so that our clinical staff, in future, will
stay as protected as possible.
–
VIDEO OF THE MONTH: ASHLA’S STORY [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=U4RHWBZ9E0O]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4rHWbz9e0o] _‘Need palliative ;
support for cancer, counsellors to address depression’_
Ashla’s story is about a remarkable young woman who became severely
disabled after falling from a train in India. She has overcome enormous
challenges to become Executive Assistant to Dr Rajagopal of Pallium India.
–
THE INDIAN EXPRESS
[HTTP://INDIANEXPRESS.COM/ARTICLE/CITIES/MUMBAI/HIMASHU-ROY-DEATH-NEED-PALLIATIVE-SUPPORT-FOR-CANCER-COUNSELLORS-TO-ADDRESS-DEPRESSION-5173417/]
The suicide note of ADGP Himanshu Roy, which mentioned depression due
to cancer, has underlined the need for improved palliative care support and
counsellors for terminal diseases in the healthcare system. India records one
million new cancer cases every year of which six to seven lakh patients die, a
Lancet oncology study states.
Read more…
[http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/himashu-roy-death-need-palliative-support-for-cancer-counsellors-to-address-depression-5173417/]
–
IAHPC FREE MEMBERSHIP TO POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/IAHPC-FREE-MEMBERSHIP-TO-POSTGRADUATE-STUDENTS/]
International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care
[https://hospicecare.com/home/] ;(IAHPC) is offering a one-year free membership
to students of qualifying institutions who are currently enrolled in a
palliative care post-graduate program for any health-related field (Medicine,
Nursing, Psychology, Social work, Pharmacy, Spiritual Care, Physiotherapy,
Pharmacy, etc.) leading to a formal degree (Diploma, Masters, PhD, Specialist
training, and Fellowships).
To qualify, institutions must fulfill the following criteria:
* Academic institutions which are currently institutional members of
IAHPC.
* The program must be listed in the IAHPC Directory of educational
programs in https://hospicecare.com/global-directory-of-education-programs/ ;
[https://hospicecare.com/global-directory-of-education-programs/] ;(Listing in
the directory is free)
The students may join by completing the application form in this link:
https://hospicecare.com/submit/join-iahpc/post-graduate-student/ ;
[https://hospicecare.com/submit/join-iahpc/post-graduate-student/] ;
With the application students need to submit the following:
A copy of a valid, current institutional identification card is
provided.
A certificate/letter from the school/university certifying that the
applicant is a post-graduate student at the institution is provided. The
certificate should be not older than 3 months.
If you have any questions or your students need any help in joining,
please send an email to Ms. Genevieve Napier [mailto: gnapier@xxxxxxxxx] , ;
IAHPC Programs Officer.
–
CONGRATULATIONS, DEAR ZIPPY.
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/CONGRATULATIONS-DEAR-ZIPPY/]
Dr Zipporah Ali, the palliative care pioneer in Kenya, received the
Women4Africa International Humanitarian Award
[https://www.facebook.com/GlobalCareNews/posts/2138550093043430] at the ;
Women4Africa award event held in London recently. The award is in recognition
of all the palliative care providers in Africa and across the globe and the
many patients (and their families) who deserve better quality of life.
Hearty congratulations, Dr Zipporah Ali. You are so inspiring!
–
CONGRATULATIONS GAYATHRI, SHERIN, SAJAN, PARVATHI.
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/CONGRATULATIONS-GAYATHRI-SHERIN-SAJAN-PARVATHI/]
All of us at Pallium India are proud of our four colleagues Gayathri,
Sherin, Sajan and Dr Parvathi, who successfully completed 33 clinical courses
offered online by Centre to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)
[https://www.capc.org/] , New York. They are now equipped to help our patients ;
and families better than ever.
Let us thank Dr. Ann Broderick, our volunteer coordinator of
international visitors and a friend of Indian palliative care from Iowa, USA,
for encouraging our team to take on this course.
For more information on CAPC courses, see https://www.capc.org/ ;
[https://www.capc.org/] ;
–
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY [HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/COURSES]
PALLIUM INDIA CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY ON MAY 12 BY HONOURING OUR
NURSES AND THANKING THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO.
–
“END GAME” MIGHT SCARE PEOPLE, BUT IT SHOULDN’T
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/END-GAME-MIGHT-SCARE-PEOPLE-BUT-IT-SHOULDNT/]
_Pallium India’s friend and volunteer Sunshine Mugrabi writes about a
recent film on Netflix:_
[https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80210691] A woman lies in a hospital ;
bed, her head shaved, her face pale yet luminous. The doctor at her bedside
talks with her in a gentle voice, while her social worker looks on.
The camera pans to a whiteboard on the wall. A child has drawn a
picture of her, with the words “Get well Mom” next to it.
This is the opening scene of “ End Game
[https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80210691] ,” a new documentary on Netflix ;
that delves into the lives of terminally ill people during their final days.
A film about death and dying might not be most people’s idea of a fun
evening’s entertainment. But the documentary is a beautiful meditation on what
makes us human–in all its fragility, fear, humor and sadness.
The movie was shot in San Francisco, California in two locations: The
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, and Zen Hospice, a
homelike facility on a residential street.
“End Game” grapples with death in close up, intimate ways rarely seen
on screen.
As Mitra, the woman in the opening scene, reaches the end of her life,
her husband Hamid and mother Vaji must make difficult decisions. Should they
continue treatment or move on to palliative care? Should they donate her body
to science?
In one poignant scene, Vaji and Hamid meet with a doctor who wants to
enroll Mitra in a research project to study her cancer. This means opening her
up after her death and removing the organs the cancer has attacked.
Vaji asks Mitra’s doctor what he would do if this were his wife or
daughter.
“Be honest,” she urges.
It’s a good question. But he answers too fast that he would go ahead
with it. This shows the empathy gap many families experience when dealing with
doctors.
Vaji breaks down sobbing.
The scenes at Zen Hospice show a warmer atmosphere. Pat, an
African-American woman with incurable uterine cancer, tells her story to a
volunteer. Her eyes fill with tears as she recounts the moment her doctor gave
her the news.
The tears spill over, but she also smiles. She talks about the relief
she feels knowing she’s monitored and cared for. The day to day support is her
focus now.
Zen Hospice Executive Director Dr. B.J. Miller fills the screen with
his presence. He’s handsome, with chiseled features and salt and pepper hair.
He talks about his philosophy, which is that rather than avoiding suffering,
it’s better to move towards it.
Death isn’t hidden away there, he explains. This is followed by footage
of staff members covering a body in flower petals.
Dr. Miller had his own brush with death. When he was in college, he and
some friends were playing around on a parked train car. He was electrocuted.
The doctors amputated his left arm below the elbow, and both of his legs below
the knee.
His disability makes it possible for him to connect with patients and
their families in a way that others might not, he explains. He doesn’t hide his
amputations. Far from it–he wears short sleeve shirts and shorts that reveal
his prosthetic limbs.
In one scene, he meets with a patient named Thekla, encouraging her to
get comfortable with the idea of death. She says she has failed to “make
friends” with death as he had assigned her to. So he suggests she find ways
make the subject part of her life, not necessarily in a friendly way.
“The scary part is the unknown and the lack of control,” she says.
There’s camaraderie in this interaction. A partnership in which both
are learning how to hold the mystery that is death.
In another scene, Dr. Miller welcomes a new patient to the hospice, a
frail, emaciated Asian man. Dr. Miller tells him he’s become popular there.
The man’s face breaks into a near toothless smile. Later, the camera
focuses on him as he’s being bathed in bed, bubbles covering his bony chest.
The film turns ordinary moments into meaningful ones. It shows that
when death is near, it’s impossible to escape the reality that each one of
those moments could be the last.
In this way, “End Game” succeeds in bringing out the complex yet
beautiful experience that is death.
“This part of my life is wonderful,” Tekla says. “And who would’ve
thought?”
_You can watch the movie here:
https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80210691 ;
[https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80210691] _ ;
–
WHAT A GIFT! THANK YOU, DR FRANK FERRIS AND LDI TEAM.
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/WHAT-A-GIFT-THANK-YOU-DR-FRANK-FERRIS-AND-LDI-TEAM/]
The leadership development initiative (LDI) led by Dr Frank Ferris and
colleagues was an epoch-making part of global palliative care history. From
various parts of the Global South, 39 leaders got trained by this innovative
programme.
All the proceedings are now available for free access online at
http://www.ipcrc.net/ldi-curriculum-overview.php ;
[http://www.ipcrc.net/ldi-curriculum-overview.php] ;
You will find an overview of LDI at the top of the page, and all of the
modules that we have permission to share, including:
* New Introductions to each module with an overview, objectives,
important teaching points and references
* The PowerPoint presentation
* The existing audio files will be available shortly
Please use and adapt these curricular materials freely, with
attribution, and share them widely with colleagues.
–
CHARITY STALL BY MEDICOS AT MGMCRI
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/CHARITY-STALL-BY-MEDICOS-AT-MGMCRI/]
_Pallium India has a collaborative project with Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth
(SBV) University [http://sbvu.ac.in/] , Puducherry, to integrate palliative ;
care into medical and nursing curricula, the first of its kind. Mrs Anu Savio
Thelly of SBV writes:_
An energetic team under Dr Satvinder Singh Bakshi, Associate Professor,
Department of ENT and Dr R.Kannan, Asso Professor, Dept. of Surgery in Mahatma
Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute (MGMCRI) [http://www.mgmcri.ac.in/] ;
set up a stall for supporting charity and volunteering work for the students of
MGMCRI.
“I’ve been a volunteer. I wanted to do something that I could be proud
of, something that would help me as well as other people. I felt very good
working in the stall”, said Ananya, 1st year medical student.
The response for the stall was amazing. The participating students and
faculty of SPECTRA 2K18 appreciated the good steps taken up by the students for
capacity building, humanitarian and sharing concerns.
There were handmade crafts, hand painted umbrellas, and T-shirts for
sale. They also arranged sales for items donated by MGMCRI students and
faculty. Lots of fun games were also conducted.
Final Year student Vignesh said, “Volunteering in the shop has
certainly provided me with a strong insight into what shop work is like and I
was surprised to find how much I really enjoy doing it.”
The money they have raised will be used for supporting poor patients,
their volunteering works in various orphanages and old age homes and for
creating awareness regarding palliative care treatment for the needy.
“We are so proud to see these kind of self-driven compassionate
activities from students,” said Dr Uma Narayanamoorthy, Asst. Prof. in
Pharmacology, a faculty volunteer in the stall.
“We are planning to scale up the activities in the future. Let our
students be role models for other medical colleges,” said Prof. M. Ravisankar,
Dean, MGMCRI. Dr Partha Nandi, Vice Principal (Student Affairs) of MGMCRI
congratulated the students for their effort.
Pallium India congratulates the teachers and students of SBV for
organizing this event and we look forward to more such initiatives.
–
SEE THE PERSON, NOT JUST THE SCANS
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/SEE-THE-PERSON-NOT-JUST-THE-SCANS/]
There seems to be a “caste system” among symptoms too. What can be
detected by an MRI scan gets attention. Not simple things like constipation.
Obstinate constipation kills.
“My brother, a cancer patient was brought here from a private hospital
in Pattom with swollen abdomen; the doctors there said his kidney is down but
the doctors here found that the swelling was due to constipation… Within hours,
the staff here relieved him of that condition,” says Raju from Varkala.
Palliative care is about looking at the person – not just the scans –
thinking of his problems from his point of view and looking for solutions, some
of which can be absurdly simple.
Read this article in Kaumudi, _A heavenly abode for terminally ill_
[http://kaumudi.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=107798] ;
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SHADES OF SURVIVAL
[HTTP://WWW.NEWINDIANEXPRESS.COM/CITIES/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/2018/MAY/16/SHADES-OF-SURVIVAL-1815532.HTML]
_The New Indian Express_
Just because he is paralysed from the waist down doesn’t mean Suresh
Kumar has lost his spirits. Hailing from Nedumangad, all this 44-year old man
needs is his hands and willpower to eke a living. This monsoon season,
umbrellas made by Suresh will hit the market. Bedridden for the past 13 years,
Suresh has been making umbrellas every year with as many as 300 ones sold
before the rain starts. Anticipating the school reopening season, this year too
he is busy creating another batch. His clients are mostly his neighbours and
small-scale organisations.
Read more…
[http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2018/may/16/shades-of-survival-1815532.html]
You can also help him. Call Suresh: +91-9605569879
–
BEWARE OF DUBIOUS CONFERENCES
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/BEWARE-OF-DUBIOUS-CONFERENCES/]
When Dr Adam Ruben received an email inviting him to speak at an
international scientific conference in Dalian, China, he was overjoyed. He
thought it would be a life-changing, career benefitting experience. Soon he
realised that this was one of the many non-existent conferences that you pay to
attend and finally would never happen.
In an article titled “ Dubious conferences put the ‘pose’ in ‘symposium
[http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/11/dubious-conferences-put-pose-symposium]
’”, Dr Reuben writes that it is not easy to “spot the difference between a
real conference and a fake one” and that early career scientist might fall for
this trap, thinking it might benefit them.
The “invited” speaker who has already paid a registration fee, would be
informed that “oops!—the conference had been canceled for one reason or
another, but darn it all, those registration fees just couldn’t be refunded.” A
“predatory conference” can even attach your name and affiliation to itself,
hoping to appeal to more attendees.
“Not all conferences are worthwhile,” Dr Reuben concludes, “But feel
free to let invitations to speak at them boost your ego – even if they’re not
legitimate, at least someone thinks you’re worth scamming.”
Thank you Dr Aju Mathew [https://twitter.com/ajumathew_] , for sharing ;
this link. Dubious conferences put the ‘pose’ in ‘symposium
[http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/11/dubious-conferences-put-pose-symposium]
–
PRIVACY AND ALL THAT [HTTPS://WWW.NEJM.ORG/DOI/FULL/10.1056/NEJMP1307152]
_Ranjana Srivastava, F.R.A.C.P._
I’m left pondering the way patients brought together by serious illness
connect with each other’s journey. While doctors provide medical explanations,
patients engage with each other on a different and more practical level.
Though they’re not conventional friends, seldom maintaining contact
outside medical facilities, they’re connected by the experience of illness.
It’s not surprising, then, that when a patient dies, the effect on other
patients can be profound.
Read more… [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1307152] ;
–
THE PRISONERS WHO CARE FOR THE DYING AND GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE
[HTTPS://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/INTERACTIVE/2018/05/16/MAGAZINE/HEALTH-ISSUE-CONVICTED-PRISONERS-BECOMING-CAREGIVERS.HTML]
_The New York Times Magazine_
In a California prison hospice, inmates become caregivers to fellow
convicts who will never make it out alive.
The California Medical Facility, a medium-security prison in Vacaville,
midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, houses general-population inmates
as well as those with health conditions and specialized medical needs. It is
home to 2,400 men — some young and healthy, others disabled and sick, and then
those in the hospice, who are dying.
Read more…
[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/16/magazine/health-issue-convicted-prisoners-becoming-caregivers.html]
–
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* DEC 7-8, 2018: 14th World Congress of Bioethics and 7th National
Bioethics Conference
[http://ijme.in/nbc-20140321/index.php/14th-wcb-india/index/pages/view/home-page]
. Venue: St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka
560034. Last date to submit abstracts: Sunday, April 8, 2018. Pre-conference
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Contact Pallium India’s Information Centre (9 am to 12 noon) for
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–
PARTING SHOT
UNTIL I BECAME A PATIENT…
[HTTPS://PALLIUMINDIA.ORG/2018/05/UNTIL-I-BECAME-A-PATIENT/]
Any doctor might become a different doctor if they go through the
experience of a patient, despite the special privileges that they may get in
their own hospital.
Read the experience shared by Dr Marc B. Garnick in his article,
_Filling in the Gaps_
[https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2681750] – the agony of ;
looking at his own image on a screen with a second nasty cancer, the fatigue
that he went through, the sheer burden of paperwork.
Reading this all makes one wonder whether we appreciate what the
typical Indian patient goes through!
_[Photo: People waiting in front of Tata Memorial Hospital. Photo
courtesy Dr. Lekha Viswanath]_
