The Silent Suffering of a Healer – Dr Rajith R, Coimbatore She was the heartbeat of our Hospice, the steady hands that wiped away tears, the voice that soothed restless souls. Sister Jessie had a rare gift—the ability to make suffering feel lighter, to bring comfort where there was none. She was a lighthouse for…
Read More
Palliative Care and Cancer Care Services at Puttaparthi The Sri Sathya Sai Palliative Care Center (SSSPCC) at Puttaparthi, Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh, was set up on 12th July, 2022, with support from the Alumni of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and registered under the Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society (PRPCS).…
Read More
Empowering Patients Navigating Malignant Bowel Obstruction – Dr Devina Juneja, Delhi In the intricate landscape of cancer care, especially among those patients confronting advanced gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers with multiple peritoneal metastases, patients are often made to navigate symptoms and treatment decisions which pose formidable challenges for them as well as for healthcare providers. Malignant…
Read More
Reflecting on my Journey in Palliative Care – Ms Meenu Yadav, Jodhpur For me, Palliative care is not just a field of medicine; it is a commitment to ease the suffering and to be able to provide holistic support to patients suffering from serious health related illnesses and their families. While undergoing my training in…
Read More
Is it Time to Revise Medical Ethics? – Dr Pratyasa Padhi, Bhubaneswar One afternoon, while visiting the medical oncology ward for palliative care consultations, I encountered a 45-year-old man with a bandage on his right lower limb, sitting on the bed alongside his wife. As I was about to see him, the ward attendant informed…
Read More
Distress to de-stress: A journey – Dr. Ravi Kiran Pothamsetty, Madurai Mrs. Shanti (name changed for confidentiality), a 66-year-old female and a post-treated case of endometrial and ovarian carcinoma recently visited the Medical Oncology OPD with her daughter-in-law, exhibiting despair and mood turbulence. She was referred to the Palliative Care team. We introduced her our…
Read More
Reflections from a Nurses Diary – Dr Kripa Angeline A and Dr Kingsle Kishore Coumar, Puducherry Our team of palliative care nurses cared for a 34-year-old female patient diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the stomach in 2023. Her journey was particularly complex, given her history as an Operation Theater assistant and her numerous medical challenges: she…
Read More
Chef SM – Ms. Alpa Dharamshi, Bengaluru As a volunteer counselor, I regularly visit Karunashraya (Bangalore Hospice Trust), a hospice where patients often have only weeks, days, or even hours left to live. While one might expect such a place to be filled with despair and sadness, it’s surprisingly peaceful. When you enter the hospice,…
Read More
From Pain to Possibility: The Role of Physiotherapy in Palliative Care – Mr Jarapla Srinivas Nayak, Bengaluru Physiotherapy in palliative care is centered on enhancing comfort and fostering independence. Unlike other healthcare settings focusing on full recovery, palliative care aims to manage symptoms, maintain mobility, and support the physical and emotional well-being of patients facing…
Read More
Will you walk with me till death? – Ms Vandana Mahajan, New Delhi Aamir (Name changed) was 28 years old when I met him for the first time. It was a busy day at the OPD. I was talking to a few people when one of the doctors called out to me, “Can you please counsel…
Read More