From the President’s Desk
Dear Friends,
As I reflect upon my time as the President of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), I am filled with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. The journey has been fulfilling, challenging, and eventful, and I am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved together.
In February 2018, when I became the President-Elect during the IAPC’s Annual General Body Meeting (AGBM) at IAPCON Delhi, I embarked upon a journey with a clear vision and concrete goals, unaware of the unprecedented challenges destiny had in store. In February 2019, during the IAPCON Kochi’s AGBM, I received the baton of leadership from my esteemed predecessor, Dr. Maryann Muckaden.
Shortly after, we found ourselves taking on the role of ‘COVID warriors’ as we battled the pandemic and also began innovating to ensure that the continuum of care was uninterrupted for those in need of palliative care services. Swift decisions and quick actions were crucial to overcome the challenges we faced then. We organized several COVID-related awareness programs for health care professionals. We collaborated with partner organisations to generate awareness and offer guidance to our colleagues in palliative care to help them to continue caring for their patients. We liaised with the government to ensure uninterrupted access to palliative care and the supply of essential opioids. Telephonic / Video consultations and counselling sessions became the norm.
The IAPC recalibrated and took bold decisions to transition our training programs into live online sessions to ensure continuity in empowering our healthcare professionals (which was then needed more than ever) despite strict restrictions on movement and public programs. The IAPC’s very successful and still ongoing online lecture series was born in June 2020. In 2020, the IAPC’s flagship training program, the Foundation Course in Essentials of Palliative Care (formerly known as CCEPC) also went online. The same year, several other structured online training programs were developed and launched by the IAPC catering specifically to pharmacists, volunteers, physiotherapists and counsellors. Today, an average of 850 professionals are annually empowered through the various national training programs. Two of our Annual International Conferences, IAPCON Patna and IAPCON Jaipur, were also successfully conducted as virtual conferences. These challenges motivated us and fuelled our determination to achieve even more. The birth of the Academy of Palliative Medicine (APM) in May 2022, also marked the realization of a long-awaited dream for the IAPC.
I am proud to share that IAPC’s publications, the content rich Indian Journal of Palliative Care (IJPC), the comprehensive Monthly Newsletter, and the educative Infographics, have been widely recognized and applauded by the global palliative care community. Significant improvements have been made to constantly enhance the quality of these publications. Additionally, the ehospice’s India edition, which is also managed by the IAPC, has ensured our significant presence on the global platforms.
Over the years, we have successfully organized thought-provoking webinars and celebrated occasions such as World Poetry Day, World Photography Day, National Doctors’ Day, etc. Various other initiatives have also been undertaken to honour our doctors, nurses, and other individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to advance palliative care in India and beyond. The IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses was launched in 2024 to recognise excellence in palliative care nursing and the IAPC’s Awards for Best oral and poster presentations were declared to encourage palliative care research in India.
It is so heartwarming to note the steady growth of the MD and DNB Palliative Medicine programs across India. MD in Palliative Medicine is currently being offered at 8 institutes and DNB in Palliative Medicine is being offered at 10 institutes across the country. Please click here to find the complete list of centers offering these programs. Furthermore, the inclusion of palliative care in the BSc Nursing curriculum and the approval of a two-year residential diploma in palliative care nursing have been remarkable milestones in our journey. I congratulate all those involved in all of these activities.
I am also very grateful that Palliative care champions from various states have come forward to collaborate with the IAPC to organise training programs for their in-service doctors and nurses as a part of their implementation of the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC); the positive impact of which is visible as services are now starting to become available within the country’s public health system. In recent years, several State Chapters of the IAPC have been established and have been working actively to take forward their agendas.
Each of these achievements have been made possible due to the mutual trust and respect we have towards each other within the palliative care fraternity, along with the excellent team work we showcased as we marched forward towards our shared dream of making palliative care accessible to those who need it. I extend my deepest gratitude to my predecessors in IAPC, to the members of the IAPC’s central council, to team APM, to the course directors and course chairs of the various academic programs, to the IAPC’s National Faculty, to the Course coordinators, to the members of the IAPC’s special interest groups, to each member of the IAPC, to my colleagues, and to my students for their support and enthusiasm in implementing the various programs and initiatives. It would not have been possible without them.
I also thank the team at Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA) Nirvana for initiating and continuing ‘Singing for the Stars’ which helps brighten the days of our patients and their caregivers, and our healthcare professionals, through music.
I must acknowledge the dedicated contributions of the IAPC’s core team and the IAPC’s Secretariat staff who have provided me with a solid foundation and their unwavering support towards implementing our day-to-day activities. To each of you, thank you and keep up the good work!
I am also thrilled to share the incredible increase in the IAPC’s membership during the past few years. Once again, I encourage all those working in palliative care to become a member of the IAPC to strengthen our collective efforts. I strongly believe that it is essential for each of us to work together under the IAPC’s umbrella to advance palliative care in our country.
I am proud to say that I have devoted a significant time to IAPC; nine years as the editor of the IJPC and six years as the President. Every moment has been worth it when we look at the progress we have made together! The support and contributions I have received all through my tenure, from every corner of the country, has been truly beyond my imagination. Whatever we have accomplished is but a small contribution to this vast and remarkable country. I am also very confident that under the able leadership of Dr Geeta Joshi and Dr Savita Butola, the IAPC will continue to grow and reach greater heights.
With warm regards,
Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar
President, IAPC