Education and Training
First North-East Palliative Care Leadership Meet and Academic Symposium Organised Successfully
Roadmap for the Region’s Palliative Care Development Drawn Up
A new chapter began for palliative care in Northeast India on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with the first Northeast Palliative Care Leadership Meet and Academic Symposium organised by IAPC’s North- East Regional Chapter. The event was organised at P.A. Sangma International Medical College & Hospital, Meghalaya with the support of the host institution, under the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya. Representatives from all eight Northeastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) came together under one regional platform. Dr Geeta (Joshi President, IAPC), was the Chief Guest and Dr Dinesh Chandra Goswami (President, Assam State Chapter of IAPC), attended as Special Invitee.
Academic Symposium
The morning session was an academic symposium on Palliative Care: Principles, Practice & Possibilities. It was designed for students and faculty of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social work and allied health disciplines. Faculty from across the eight states delivered evidence-based talks, with interactive discussions and Q&A. The aim was to introduce future healthcare professionals to palliative care and to encourage interdisciplinary learning.
Leadership Meet
The afternoon leadership meet brought palliative care professionals from the region together. Discussions covered the Chapter’s bylaws and governance, planning of academic and capacity-building initiatives, strategies to sensitise healthcare professionals, public awareness generation, and networking across the region.
Regional priorities and 5 Year Road Map to Develop Palliative Care in the Region
The leadership deliberations identified several priorities including: mapping existing services and workforce, strengthening palliative care competencies, building institutional and government partnerships, increasing public awareness and community participation, and developing sustainable financing mechanisms
A significant advocacy priority will be financial protection for home-based palliative care. Difficult terrain, long travel distances and uneven access to healthcare across the Northeast make repeated hospital visits particularly hard for patients and families. The Chapter will support IAPC’s wider efforts towards appropriate financing and coverage for palliative and home-based care.
The participants also charted a five-year roadmap to strengthen palliative care infrastructure, professional training, local leadership and access to quality care.
Online Final Examination for FCEPC July 2026 Batch Conducted Successfully
The online final examination for the Foundation Course in Essentials of Palliative Care (FCEPC), July 2026 batch, was conducted on 26September 2026. Doctors and nurses who completed the course appeared for the examination. The examination was held simultaneously at 34 course centres across India.
The smooth and timely conduct of the examination across all centres was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the centre coordinators. We sincerely thank each of them for their commitment, careful planning and support to the candidates.
We wish all the candidates the very best for their results.
IAPC’s Foundation Course in Palliative Care Pharmacy: Part A Online Workshop Held on 26 September 2026
The Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) conducted Part A of its Foundation Course in Palliative Care Pharmacy (FCPCP) as a full-day online workshop on 26 September 2026. A total of 29 participants registered for the program, comprising doctors and pharmacists from across India.
The programme opened with a pre-test and welcome, followed by an introduction to the course and the concept of palliative care. The morning sessions covered the history of opioids and the NDPS Act, including its 2014 and 2021 amendments. Sessions on drugs used for pain management, common side effects with case-based discussions, and routes of administration followed. Opioid pharmacology and the process of obtaining Recognised Medical Institution (RMI) status, with its pre-requisites and responsibilities, completed the morning.
The afternoon focused on practical, regulatory aspects. These included calculating a facility’s essential narcotic drug (END) requirements, and procuring, stocking and dispensing morphine as per the amended NDPS rules. The session covered forms and documentation, secure storage, and dispensing across in-house pharmacy, OP, IP and home care settings, including 24×7 availability of medicines. An open discussion with all faculty and a post-test concluded the day.”
We thank the Ms Saroja G (Course Coordinator) and all faculty for their contributions and all participants for their active engagement. Having completed Part A, participants will now proceed to Part B, the hands-on training.
Half-Day CME on “Pain and Beyond: Contemporary Perspectives in Palliative Oncology” Held at BBCI, Guwahati
A half-day CME programme was successfully conducted by the Department of Palliative Medicine, Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), in association with the Assam State Chapter of IAPC, on 5 September 2026 at BBCI, Guwahati. The theme was “Pain and Beyond: Contemporary Perspectives in Palliative Oncology”, with special focus on the palliative care needs of patients with head and neck cancer, an area increasingly recognised for its distinct symptom burden and care challenges.
Experts from leading national institutions shared insights and clinical experience on the evolving role of palliative care. The faculty were: Prof. Dr. Seema Mishra (AIIMS, New Delhi), Dr. H. M. Iqbal Bahar (Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre [CCHRC], Silchar), Dr. Puneet Rathore (AIIMS, Jhajjar), Prof. Dr. Arun Deka (State Cancer Institute [SCI], Assam), Dr. Prasun P. (ACTREC, Mumbai).
Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from BBCI and other institutions across the region took part. The CME encouraged learning and dialogue among clinicians and contributed to strengthening the regional palliative care community.
Access Changes Lives: NIMHANS Santvana Brings Children and Families Together to Live Well with Muscular Dystrophy
To mark World Duchenne Awareness Day 2026, NIMHANS Bengaluru held a programme at Ashwini Hall on the theme “Access Changes Lives.” It was organised by the NIMHANS Neuromuscular Team and Santvana, Neuropalliative & Supportive Care, led by Dr Priya Treesa Thomas, Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work. The NIMHANS Advanced Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders (NACNMD) and the Cipla Foundation collaborated. The event brought together 35 children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and their families, along with healthcare professionals.
The day opened with parallel activities. Children took part in art-based sessions with the Neuropalliative Care team, volunteers and trainees. Parents joined a session led by Dr Muthuraju A (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work), to share caregiving experience. Dr Sasidhara H N, Dr Aravinda H R, Dr Madhurnath, Dr Nalini, Dr Meekha Khanna, Dr Priya Treesa Thomas and Dr Priya Baby were present at the inaugural function.
A multidisciplinary panel comprising Dr Seena Vengalil, Prof. Nalini A, Dr Priya Treesa Thomas, Dr Rajani Bhat, Dr Priya Baby, Ms G. Srinithya and Mr Tittu Thomas James addressed the families’ questions. Interactive sessions and a Q&A gave families direct access to professionals, and shared experiences helped reduce isolation and build community.
The programme highlighted that care for DMD goes beyond medical management to include psychosocial and caregiver support, life-skills development, rehabilitation and community resources.
Parents shared their experiences. One mother described how her family took almost six months to accept the diagnosis, and how she later explained the condition to her son in age-appropriate ways to build his confidence and independence. A father spoke of drawing strength from his son’s “one step at a time” outlook. Families called for:
- better access to existing provisions
- dedicated multidisciplinary DMD clinics, even a monthly one, to reduce repeated hospital visits
- accessible, inclusive school infrastructure so that children can study with dignity and independence
2-Day ELNEC Training for Nurses Successfully Completed at BBCI, Guwahati
A 2-day End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training for nurses was successfully completed on 26 and 27 September 2026 at the Academic Hub, Dr B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati, Assam.
A total of 38 nurses from BBCI and nearby healthcare institutes completed the training. It combined expert-led sessions with role-play exercises. The ELNEC trainers Mr. Sudip Rudra Paul and Mrs. Nileema Shingade led the sessions. Dr. Kabindra Bhagabati, Dr. N. Haokip, Dr. Dipankar Dakua, Mrs. K. Sushila, Mrs. Geetanjali Buruka, and Mrs. Tripti Lodh contributed as faculty. This was the third ELNEC training organised at BBCI, reflecting the institute’s continued commitment to strengthening palliative care nursing in the region.
On behalf of BBCI, Dr. Kabindra Bhagabati (In-charge, Department of Palliative Medicine, BBCI) thanked all the faculty, the Assam Nurses’ Midwives & Health Visitors’ Council, ELNEC India, ELNEC USA, and the Cipla Foundation for their support.
Palliative Care Nursing Models and Multidisciplinary Collaboration Discussed at ONCOS 1.0, AIIMS Gorakhpur
A session on “Introduction to Palliative Care Nursing Models: Collaborating with the Multidisciplinary Team” was held as part of ONCOS 1.0 at AIIMS Gorakhpur on 2nd August 2026. Dr Kusum Kumari (Associate Professor, College of Nursing, AIIMS Deoghar, Jharkhand) led the session.
The session highlighted the need to integrate palliative care into comprehensive cancer services and the essential role of nurses in holistic, patient- and family-centred care. Participants were introduced to the role of nurses across hospital-based, outpatient, community-based, home-based, consultative and integrated models of care.
The value of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach was emphasised. The discussion also covered the nurse’s roles as care coordinator, patient advocate, educator, communicator, symptom assessor and facilitator of continuity of care. Participants learned structured communication techniques such as SBAR (Situation–Background–Assessment–Recommendation) to improve teamwork and patient safety.
Through interactive discussion, participants identified practical ways to bring palliative care principles into everyday cancer nursing practice, with the shared goal of improving quality of life for patients with cancer and supporting their families throughout the illness. More than 40 Nurses participated.
WHO Academy Launches New Course on Planning Palliative Care Services
The World Health Organization (WHO) Academy has launched a new course on Planning Palliative Care Services. It is designed for health system planners and partners. The course shows participants how to use WHO’s Service Planning, Delivery and Implementation (SPDI) platform to assess current services and design palliative care packages for universal health coverage.
The course is self-paced and open for enrolment on the WHO Academy.
IAPC-APM Monday Morning Lecture Series
Update from August 2026
The IAPC Academy of Palliative Medicine continued its Monday morning Lectures in August 2026. Topics, speakers, and moderators were as follows:
Sessions planned for October 2026
We warmly invite you to join the lectures scheduled for October 2026. Details as follows:
