Education and Training
Last chance to apply for the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in Palliative Care for Volunteers’
Apply before Monday, 6th May, 2024, to participate in the fourth online batch of the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in Palliative Care for Volunteers’.
Individuals who can commit, who have the time, and are willing to offer their services in palliative care facilities are invited to register for the course which aims to equip and empower ‘compassionate volunteers’ with relevant knowledge and interpersonal skills needed to volunteer in palliative care settings. The course will therefore place strong emphasis on communication skills, counselling skills, and the various psycho-social issues and its management, which a volunteer might potentially be faced with.
The course will be delivered in two components: a 16-hour virtual and theoretical ‘Part A’ component, and a 16 hour in-person practical ‘Part B’ component. Only those candidates successfully completing both components of the program will be eligible to receive the course completion certificate.
The 16-hour ‘Part A’ component of the course will be delivered over 6 days (2 hours each during the weekdays and 4 hours over the weekend) in May 2024. The course dates for this component of the course are 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th and 18th May, 2024.
Post successfully completing the ‘Part A’ component of the course, course participants can proceed to the ‘Part B’ of the program, a 16-hour observership in any recognised palliative care unit.
Don’t forget to apply before Monday, 6th May, 2024 to participate in the course. To apply for the course, please click here.
Applications invited for the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in the Physiotherapy – Palliative Care interface’
The IAPC is inviting registrations for the fifth batch of the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in the Physiotherapy – Palliative Care interface’, scheduled to be held on Saturday, 15th June, 2024.
The one-day certificate course aims to not only enhance a physiotherapists’ understanding of how they can contribute towards the rendering of holistic palliative care, but also strives to educate the palliative care community on how physiotherapy can augment their patient care and symptom management.
Physiotherapists (BPT and MPT), Doctors practising Palliative Medicine (MBBS / BDS), and Nurses practising Palliative Care (BSc Nursing, Diploma in Nursing, or GNM) are invited to register for the course.
The course will be conducted between 8:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, 15th June, 2024, and will be delivered by expert faculty from across the country.
Please click here for further information and to register for the same. Please note that the last date to register for the course is Friday, 7th June, 2024.
Registrations invited for ‘Certificate Course in Counselling skills in Cancer and Palliative Care’ offered jointly by KIPCER and KMC
Registrations invited for the third cohort of the 6-month online program ‘Certificate Course in Counselling skills in Cancer and Palliative Care: A blended learning program’, offered jointly by the Karunashraya Institute for Palliative Care Education and Research (KIPCER), Bengaluru, and the Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal.
Candidates with a M Phil / PhD in Psycho-oncology / Clinical Psychology / Social work, Masters in Psychology / Medical Social Work / Psychiatric Social Work, or Bachelors (Honours) in Psychology with relevant experience in oncology/palliative care are eligible to apply for the course.
The course aims to empower participants on how to handle difficult conversations with patients and their families, how to identify and manage distress and other psychological issues, how to navigate end-of-life care concerns, and how to provide caregiver support and bereavement support. The content for the course has been developed and delivered by experts from the field of psycho-oncology and palliative medicine.
The virtual component of the course will be conducted over 24 weeks between Monday, 1st July, 2024, and Saturday, 14th December, 2024, and conclude with a 5-day in-person session at Karunashraya, Bengaluru, between Monday, 16th December, 2024, and Friday, 20th December, 2024.
Please write to kipcer_ccpc@karunashraya.org for further information. Please click here to register for the program. The last date to register for the course is Friday, 31st May, 2024.
IAPC and Shanti Palliative Care Center, Siliguri, jointly trained 32 individuals in ‘Home Based Palliative Care’ between 18th and 20th April, 2024
The IAPC and Shanti Palliative Care Center, Siliguri, West Bengal, jointly trained 32 individuals in the basics of ‘Home Based Palliative Care’ at the Inspiria Knowledge Campus, Siliguri, between Thursday, 18th April, 2024, and Saturday, 20th April, 2024.
The 32 participants were represented by 1 Doctor, 24 Nurses and 7 volunteers from Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri.
The in-person training program included a blend of both theory sessions and practical sessions covering topics such as introduction to the concept and principles of palliative care, assessment and management of pain and other distressing symptoms, communication, bowel and bladder care, wound care, caring for bedridden patients, basics of drug administration and morphine, infection control, caring for caregivers, self care etc. The practical component of the training which was conducted at Jesu Ashram, Siliguri, also included bedside teaching and several live demonstrations of various procedures. A unique session on ‘Gupshup and Listen’ was presented virtually by Ms Gilly Burn (Oncology and Palliative Care Specialist Nurse, UK).
National faculty from across the country along with regional faculty presented very comprehensive and interactive sessions over the course of the training period. Dr Savita Butola (Secretary, IAPC) and Dr Pankaj Chowdhary (Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Palliative Physician, Shanti Nursing Home, Siliguri, West Bengal) were the course coordinators for this program.
A Training program in palliative care for community healthcare providers was organised at AIIMS Bathinda in April, 2024
The C3PaC team, in association with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) organized a 5-day training program in palliative care for community healthcare providers in April, 2024. The training was organized as a part of the ICMR project ‘Development and Implementation of a Comprehensive Coordinated Community based Palliative Care model for Cancer patients (C3PaC)’ with Dr Mayank Gupta (Associate Professor, AIIMS Bathinda) as the principal investigator of the project.
The training program was held in two components: three days of didactics between Thursday, 18th April, 2024, and Saturday, 20th April, 2024; followed by two days of field visits. 50 individuals representing Medical Officers, ANMs, Community Health Workers and ASHA workers from 27 sub-centres of Goniana Block, Bathinda District, participated in the training program.
The program aimed to equip community healthcare providers with the palliative care knowledge and skills that are needed by them to deliver good quality palliative care services within their community.
Theory sessions therefore touched upon topics such as introduction to the concept and principles of palliative care, communication, assessment and management of pain and other symptoms, how to identify a patient in the community, what to report to doctor/nurse, nursing issues, psychospiritual concerns, emergencies in palliative care, what to do and what not to do in home care, financial schemes available for patients etc.
The practical training and field visit (at Goniana Block in Bathinda) trained participants in the practical components of the theory topics along with touching upon history taking, drawing a family chart, and exposure to various field based procedures such as conducting interviews, how to fill PC assessment sheets, questionnaires etc. The project team also distributed a training manual in vernacular language which was contextualised to the needs of the community which was explored systematically through a participatory action research conducted during the first phase of the C3PaC project.
SKIMS, Srinagar, organised a CME ‘An update on Pain and Palliation’ on 20th April, 2024
The Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, conducted a one-day CME on Saturday, 20th April, 2024, at the Auditorium of SKIMS at Srinagar. The program was organised by SKIM’s Pain and Palliative Care Unit (Department of Radiation Oncology).
The in-person CME was attended by 70 individuals who included the various Department Heads of SKIMS, the Staff of SKIMS and students from all the various departments of SKIMS, Srinagar. Dr Farooq Ahmed Jan (Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Srinagar) and Dr Shariq (Dean, SKIMS Srinagar) also graced the occasion with their presence.
The program began with Dr Nazir Ahmad Khan (Head, Radiation Oncology; Incharge, Pain and Palliative Care, SKIMS Srinagar) welcoming the gathering and introducing the concept of palliative care. This was followed by discussions on Interventional management in cancer pain, the significance of home care in pain and palliative care, the role of social workers in palliative care, and the road map to palliative care being followed at the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar. The sessions concluded with a very interactive panel discussion to clarify and shed light of the various topics discussed during the day.
Faculty from SKIMS Srinagar and GMC Srinagar presented sessions during the day.
The organising team plans to conduct a series of CME’s and sensitization programs for healthcare professionals and the general community to generate awareness about palliative care in the region.
College of Nursing, AIIMS Deoghar, conducted a National skill enhancement workshop on critical care and palliative care nursing on 22nd and 26th April, 2024
Two separate identical one-day workshops on National skill enhancement Observed Structured Clinical / Practical Examination (OSCE/OSPE) on critical care and palliative care was organized by the College of Nursing, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Deoghar, Jharkhand, on Monday, 22nd April, 2024, and Friday, 26th April, 2024.
A total of over 120 nursing personnel from various regions of Jharkhand participated in both sessions of the workshops which aimed to empower the participants to deliver high quality critical care nursing and palliative care nursing.
Both sessions began with the administration of a pre-test questionnaire.
Dr C Vasantha Kalyani (Principal, College of Nursing, AIIMS Deoghar), Dr Kusum Kumari (Associate Professor, College of Nursing, AIIMS Deoghar) and Dr Shiv Kumar (Associate Professor, College of Nursing, AIIMS Deoghar) then proceeded to present interactive sessions on Palliative Care Nursing, Pain Management, Role of morphine – its storage and dispensing, introduction to the basics of Critical care nursing, care of skin integrity, hand hygiene, airway management, Basic life support, wound care, ostomy care, soft skill communication and biomedical waste management.
Each session concluded with the administration and discussion of the post test questionnaire and an OSCE evaluation.
19 Community Medicine Physicians from 7 Medical Colleges participated in the inaugural lecture of Phase – 1 of the ‘IAPC – IAPSM collaboration’ on 24th April, 2024
19 Community Medicine Physicians from 7 Medical Colleges across India, participated virtually in the inaugural lecture of a lecture series designed as a part of the first phase of the collaboration between the IAPC and the Indian Association of Preventive Medicine (IAPSM) on Wednesday, 24th April, 2024. The collaboration aims to build primary palliative care in the country. With the expanse of outreach programs that Community Medicine departments provide, both associations felt this to be the best place for training in primary palliative care to begin.
The first phase of the collaboration will require participants to virtually attend 21 lectures, scheduled to be presented between Wednesday, 24th April, 2024, and Wednesday, 5th June, 2024. These sessions will be presented by expert faculty of Palliative Medicine from across India. This cohort of participants will then proceed to participate in a hands-on training component, lead by a regional palliative care team. These regional palliative care teams will continue to hand-hold the community medicine physicians during service development and education activities at each of the 7 medical colleges. Moving forward thereafter, the project will increase activities in a phasic manner with more medical colleges included.
Dr Shrikant Atreya (Senior Consultant and Incharge, Palliative Medicine Unit, Tata Memorial Center, Kolkata) and Dr Savita Butola (Secretary, IAPC; CMO – Selection Grade, Border Security Force, Panisagar) welcomed the gathering and highlighted the importance of integrating palliative care within the country’s public health care system so as to make these services available and accessible to those needing it.
The inaugural session ‘Palliative Care: Need for early Identification and Integration’, presented by Dr Jennifer Jeba (Professor and Head, Department of Palliative Medicine, CMC Vellore, Tamil Nadu) introduced the concept of palliative care and highlighted its need, role and benefits in early integration while delivering care for patients with serious health related suffering.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion section. The enthusiastic participants also shared important feedback on mechanisms to effectively integrate and diffuse the concept of palliative care within their own networks.
The Delhi State Chapter of the IAPC successfully conducted their 4th CME on 27th April, 2024
The Department of Onco-Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine, Dr. B.R.A IRCH, AIIMS, New Delhi, under the aegis of the Delhi State Chapter of the IAPC successfully conducted their 4th Continuing Medical Education (CME) on ‘Geriatric Palliative Care: Guiding light through life’s transitions’ on Saturday, 27th April, 2024, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the Dr Ramalingaswami Board Room, AIIMS, New Delhi.
The CME began with Dr Seema Mishra (Chairman, Delhi Chapter of IAPC) welcoming the gathering. This was followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and addresses by Dr Gowri Nambiar Sengupta (DDG (PH), Director CHEB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India), Dr Sushma Bhatnagar (President, IAPC; Chief IRCH AIIMS New Delhi), and Dr Naveet Wig (Head, Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS New Delhi).
Over 90 health healthcare professionals participated in the CME, which included interesting and insightful presentations and discussions with faculty from diverse backgrounds. The CME included sessions on physiology of ageing, approaching geriatric patients with mild to moderate depression, the management of dementia and stroke in the geriatric population, providing the perspectives of both a geriatric physician and a palliative care physician while integrating palliative care in the geriatric population, and the management of malignant and non-malignant chronic pain in the geriatric population. This was followed by a very interactive panel discussion on ‘Comprehensive Care of geriatric patients with multiple comorbidities: A Multidisciplinary approach’.
An exciting quiz was then conducted by the Quiz Masters, Dr Brajesh Ratre, Dr Saurabh Vig, Dr Prashant Sirihoya and Dr Raghav Gupta.
The CME concluded with Dr Sachidanand Jee Bharti (Honorary Secretary, Delhi Chapter of IAPC) presenting the vote of thanks.
Update from APM’s lecture series
Report on activities in April
Along with the scorching sun of April, the heat for the palliative care community was turned up another notch as 5 fantastic sessions were presented in April 2024, as a part of the Academy of Palliative Medicine’s online Lecture Series 1. The current series aims to deliver a total of 37 lectures which will be delivered by Students of MD and DNB in Palliative Medicine from across the country and moderated by a Faculty from their respective center.
The presentations for April began with an excellent presentation on ‘Harnessing Technology in Palliative Care’, presented by Dr Parth Sarthi Jha and moderated by Dr Prasun P. The second session was a through presentation on ‘How to write a research protocol’ presented by Dr Kesavaraj S and moderated by Dr Yogendra Singhal. The sessions continued with a very interesting presentation on ‘Scrambler Therapy’ presented by Dr Manisha and moderated by Dr Rakesh Garg. Next, was a fantastic presentation on ‘Ethical principles in palliative care’ presented by Dr Betty Mary Abraham and moderated by Dr Shoba Nair. The sessions for the month concluded with a comprehensive presentation on ‘Financial toxicity in Palliative Care’, presented by Dr Visnhu Charan and moderated by Dr Sachidanand Jee Bharati.
We thank our speakers and the moderators for sharing their time and expertise to enrich the knowledge of the palliative care’s community.
Sessions planned for May 2024
We invite you to join us for the lectures scheduled for May. Details below:
