Education and Training
Apply before 11th November, 2024, to participate in the ‘IAPC’s Foundation Course in Palliative Care for Volunteers’
Grab the last chance and apply before Monday, 11th November, 2024, to participate in the fifth online batch of the IAPC’s ‘Foundation 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 November 2024. The course dates for this component of the course are 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd November, 2024.
Please click here for further details and to register for the course.
Register before 26th November, 2024, to participate in the IAPC’s ‘Foundation Course in the Physiotherapy – Palliative Care Interface’
Registrations are invited before Tuesday, 26th November, 2024, for the IAPC’s ‘Foundation Course in the Physiotherapy – Palliative Care interface’, scheduled to be held on Saturday, 30th November, 2024.
The one-day 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, 30th November, 2024, and will be delivered by expert faculty from across the country.
Please click here for further information and to register for the same.
Applications invited before 27th November, 2024, to participate in the IAPC’s ‘Foundation course in the Essentials of Psychosocial Issues in Palliative Care’
Submit applications before Wednesday, 27th November, 2024, to participate in the online batch of the IAPC’s ‘Foundation course in the Essentials of Psychosocial Issues in Palliative Care‘.
The course content is curated to facilitate participants understand the psychosocial and spiritual issues that impact the quality of life of patients with chronic illness and their caregivers. The course aims to also equip participants with the basic skills required to counsel and communicate with patients / caregivers in such situations.
Qualified Doctors (MBBS / BDS), Nurses (BSc Nursing / GNM), Counsellors and Psychologists (BSc / MSc / MA in Psychology) and Social Workers (MSW) are invited to apply for this program.
The virtual course will be delivered over a week in December (3 hours over weekends; 2 hours over weekdays), between Sunday, 1st December, and Saturday, 7th December, 2024 (both dates included).
For further information and to register, please click here.
Applications invited for the IAPC’s ‘Foundation Course in Essentials of Palliative Care’
Applications are invited for the IAPC’s ‘Foundation Course in Essentials of Palliative Care’ (FCEPC) batch scheduled to begin in January 2025. The course was previously known as the IAPC’s Certificate Course in Essentials of Palliative Care.
The basic course in palliative care is intended for doctors and nurses and aims to inculcate the principles of palliative care in everyday practice for doctors and nurses to improve patient care through proper communication and effective management of difficult symptoms.
The online batch of the IAPC’s FCEPC will be delivered in two parts: A mandatory theory ‘Part A’ component and a practical hands-on ‘Part B’ component (recommended but optional).
The theoretical ‘Part A’ component of the upcoming batch will be held as half day sessions over 3 weekends (Saturdays: 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sundays: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) on 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th January 2025. Select Clinical sessions will be held separately for Doctors and Nurses.
For further details about the course and to submit e-applications, please click here. The last date to submit applications is Tuesday, 24th December, 2024.
Applications invited for the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in Basics of Palliative Care – A blended learning program’
The Academy of Palliative Medicine (APM) is inviting applications for the IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in Basics of Palliative Care – A Blended Learning Program’.
The course aims to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills to deliver basic palliative care. Candidates will learn the core concepts and benefits of palliative care in the care of patients with serious illness. The course covers symptom and distress assessment and management (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological), communication skills for handling difficult conversations, ethical decision-making, and end-of-life care for patients.
Doctors who are post MBBS or post-graduates interested in incorporating palliative care in their clinical career are encouraged to register for the 6-month certificate course scheduled to begin on Friday, 10th January, 2025.
The course will feature 8 modules which will be delivered over 6 months and include 600 hours of curated blended learning. The course is designed to be delivered via a combination of self-study, asynchronous, and synchronous learning (4 hours per week; every Friday and Saturday between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) through a Learning Management System. 3 days of Face-to-face, a 12-day clinical attachment component and a 2 day summative face-to-face along with an exam will be held at the end.
Please click here for further information and to register for the course.
Registration is on a first-come basis, and the number of participants will be capped at 30. Registrations close on Sunday, 15th December, 2024.
Applications are invited for the ‘Fellowship in Palliative Care 2025’ offered jointly by IPM, SPCP, BSMMU and St Christopher’s Hospice
Applications are invited to participate in the ‘Fellowship in Palliative Care 2025” offered jointly by the Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM), Kozhikode, India, the Sanjeevan Palliative Care Project (SPCP), Pondicherry, India, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh, and St Christopher’s Hospice, London, United Kingdom.
This comprehensive 240-hour program is designed to enhance the development, quality assurance, and expansion of palliative care services worldwide. An optional stream is also available for clinical updates. The organisers of the program explains that the entire program is set in line with the World Health Organization’s Public Health Approach to Palliative Care.
Over 750 individuals from more than 50 countries have completed this program in 6 batches, with 70% being doctors, 20% nurses, and the remaining from other streams such as Program managers/ Social workers/ volunteers etc
The program follows adult learning principles and consists of ten full-day online sessions, assignments, group activities, and interactions with mentors over six months. Course participants will need to allocate an approximate 40 hours per month towards the course.
Clinical staff, program managers, coordinators, community volunteers, trainers, and those working in non-governmental organisations and government agencies focused on Palliative Care, social workers, healthcare and advocacy professionals or other professionals wishing to explore palliative care are eligible to apply.
Please click here for further information on this.
Dr Jella Nandedkar Memorial Symposium on Evidence based Palliative Care held on 26th October 2024, in Hyderabad
The first-ever symposium on ‘Evidence based Palliative Care’ was conducted in Hyderabad in the memory of Dr. Jella Nandedkar on 26th October 2024. The symposium was organized jointly by the Indo-American Cancer Association and the Pain Relief and Palliative care society Hyderabad. The event brought together prominent professionals to discuss evidence-based practices and advancements in palliative care.
The symposium began with an opening address by Dr. Manjula Baghavathula (Secretary, Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society, Hyderabad), and was followed by an award ceremony honouring the memory of Dr. Jella Nandedkar. Dr. Sriram Yennu (Professor, MD Anderson cancer Hospital) delivered a keynote presentation on new treatments for cancer- related fatigue in advanced cancer. Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar (Chief Dr BRA IRCH, AIIMS New Delhi and President, Indian Association of Palliative Care) spoke on the development of palliative care in India, highlighting the progress and ongoing challenges.
The symposium then proceeded to cover significant topics by eminent faculty members. Sessions on Implications of burnout among healthcare providers, Evidence surrounding serious health-related sufferings, Trends and evidence in managing chronic pain in children, and Role of Octreotide in palliative care were delivered by Dr. Suresh K Reddy (Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Hospital), Dr. Nandini Vallath (Head of the Department, Palliative Medicine, St. John’s Hospital, Bangalore), Dr. Gayatri Palat (Head of the Department, Pain and Palliative Medicine, MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre, Hyderabad), and Dr. Praneeth Suvvari (Consultant and In-charge, Department of Palliative Medicine, Indo-American Hospital, Hyderabad) respectively.
The event was concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Gayatri Palat. The legal and ethical considerations of euthanasia, Assisted suicide, and Advance Care Planning in India were the topics discussed in the panel discussion. The panellists, Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar, Dr. Nandini Vallath, Dr. Suresh Reddy, Dr. Sriram Yennu, and Dr. Praneeth Suvvari spoke on diverse perspectives of these very sensitive topics. The symposium was concluded with the final remarks by Dr. Priya kumari (Founder and Treasurer, Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society, Hyderabad).The symposium emphasized the need to practice evidence based palliative care in India.
Karunashraya hosted a ‘Design Thinking to Drive Innovation in Palliative Care’ workshop on 14th October, 2024, in Bengaluru
The Bangalore Hospice Trust- Karunashraya, Bengaluru, conducted a one-day workshop on ‘Design Thinking to Drive Innovation in Palliative Care’ on Monday, 14th October, 2024, at Karunashraya, Bengaluru.
The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Shyam Viswanathan (Secretary, Dementia India Alliance) who has over 40 years of experience in areas like Process Design and Technology-Based Training. During the sessions, Mr. Viswanathan guided participants through applying design thinking to enhance patient experiences and outcomes in palliative care.
A total of 22 participants, including physicians, dentists, COOs, counselors, co-founders, UX UI specialists from various institutes such as Cancer Institute, Adyar, Chennai; MAHE, Manipal; KMIO Bengaluru; Mohan Foundation, Bengaluru; Golden Butterflies, Chennai; PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai; Renalyx; Ambujamma Health Care Forum; and youEx Consulting Services, attended the workshop.
The workshop gathered professionals from diverse backgrounds to explore creative solutions tailored to the unique needs of patients and caregivers. Through interactive sessions on ideation, prototyping, and collaborative problem-solving, participants co-created frameworks for innovation in service delivery, advocacy, and training within palliative care.
The initiative is said to underscore Karunashraya Institute for Palliative Care Education and Research’s (KIPCER) commitment to pioneering transformative ideas for advancing palliative care. By fostering a culture of innovation, KIPCER is dedicated to developing new models of care that are not only compassionate and patient-centred but also sustainable and scalable across diverse healthcare settings.
Emirates Palliative Care Conference Makes a Mark
The first Emirates Palliative Care Conference, hosted by Burjeel Holdings, took place at the Rosewood Hotel, Abu Dhabi, from 19th to 20th October 2024. This milestone event aimed to raise awareness about palliative care in the UAE.
Renowned plenary speaker, Dr. M.R. Rajagopal (Chairman, Emeritus,Pallium India, Thiruvananthapurm, Kerala), a palliative care pioneer from India delivered a powerful talk on “Gently Shaking the World: 30 Years of Palliative Care – A Legacy of Relieving Suffering.
Other notable speakers from India included Mr. Avtar Singh Cheema, who discussed community-centered palliative care in rural Punjab, and Ms. Anu Savio Thelly, who explored the timely introduction of palliative care.
The hybrid event attracted over 400 in-person attendees and 3,000 virtual participants, highlighting the growing recognition of palliative care in improving the quality of life for those with life-limiting illnesses.
Enhancing End-of-Life Care: Nurses at Neotia Getwel Multi-Specialty Hospital Receive Training on Symptom Management
A comprehensive session on End-of-Life Care, focusing on symptom management, was recently organized for nurses at Neotia Getwel Multi-Specialty Hospital (NGMH) in Siliguri, West Bengal. The four-hour program, held on August 31st and September 7th, 2024, was attended by 43 nurses.
Dr. Pankaj Chowdhary, a renowned Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Palliative Care Physician, conducted the two sessions, sharing his expertise on effective symptom management and end-of-life care. The program was also attended by the nurses’ tutors and the nursing superintendent.
A significant outcome of the session was the agreement to implement the Non-Verbal Pain Scale (NVPS) in the intensive wards for pain assessment. This decision is expected to improve the quality of care provided to patients in the hospital.
Update from the APM’s lecture series
Report on activities in October 2024
The ‘Academy of Palliative Medicine’s online Lecture Series 3’ began from Monday, 14th October, 2024, at 6:30 a.m.. The series has been designed to present a total of 52 lectures focussing on ‘Recent Advances in Palliative Care’, with sessions from the series being delivered by Students of MD and DNB in Palliative Medicine from across the country and moderated by expert Faculty from across the country.
Please click here to view the schedule from the new series.
The first session from the series was a comprehensive presentation on ‘Review of current guidelines on palliative sedation’ presented by Dr Himanshu Varshney and moderated by Dr Nishkarsh Gupta. This was followed by an in-depth presentation on ‘Review of current recommendations on management of diabetes mellitus at end of life’ presented by Dr T Sarayu and moderated by Dr Shoba Nair. The sessions for the month concluded with a detailed presentation on ‘Review of evidence for managing pruritus in patients receiving palliative care’ presented by Dr Manoj Ravi and moderated by Dr Raghavendra Ramanjulu.
There was no session presented on Monday, 7th October, 2024, due to a one-week break between series.
The IAPC thanks all our speakers and the moderators for sharing their time and expertise to enrich the knowledge of the palliative care’s community.
Sessions planned for November 2024
We invite you to join us for the lectures scheduled for November, 2024, from the APM’s Lecture Series 3. Details as follows:
