From the President’s Desk

Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar

Hello Friends,

As the New Year dawns to signal a fresh beginning, I wish each of you the best for your journey this year.

The IAPC’s Infographic of the month acknowledges and sheds light on ‘The Role of Caregivers in Palliative Care’. Please feel free to share this insightful infographic within your networks. Please click here to view the infographics published till date.

The Indian Journal of Palliative Care (IJPC) has recently published its October – December edition. Please click here to read the interesting and engaging articles featured in this edition of the IJPC.

I invite you to mark your calendars and join us for this year’s first musical evening of ‘Singing for the Stars’. The evening of harmonies is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 9th January, 2024, and will be presented jointly by the Shankar Mahadevan Academy Nirvana (SMA Nirvana), and IAPC. Remember, your participation brings smiles, inspiration and happiness to the lives of many!

I am pleased to share that the IAPC has partnered with Noon Hospital and Research Center, Bhavani Mandi, Rajasthan, (a hospital in rural Rajasthan) to raise awareness and train professionals in the basics of Palliative Care. A 3-day training program was organised in this regard in December 2023. Please visit the Education and Training’ section of the newsletter for further details. Congratulations and Welcome Team Noon Hospital to the world of Palliative Care!

The IAPC successfully completed the 4th online batch of IAPC’s ‘Certificate Course in Physiotherapy- Palliative Care Interface‘ with the enthusiastic participation of 33 clinicians in December, 2023. The 4th online batch of the IAPC’s ‘Certificate course in managing psychosocial issues of patients with chronic illnesses in Palliative Care’ was also completed successfully with a record 49 individuals participating in the program. The 8th online batch of the ‘Certificate Course in Essentials of Palliative Care’ is scheduled to begin from 6th January, 2024. I welcome each of our course candidates into the field of Palliative Care. I congratulate and extend my warmest gratitude to all those who have worked hard to ensure the success of these programs. The ‘Education and Training Section’ of the newsletter also features details from several other educational initiatives from various organisations. I urge you to please read the same and pass on the details to the relevant communities.

I am also excited to celebrate our colleagues and our fellow organisations for their achievements and accomplishments. Please head over to the ‘Awards and Recognitions’ section of this newsletter for further details and to celebrate and congratulate our colleagues. Congratulations to all! Your achievements inspire us on this collective journey!

I extend my warmest gratitude to the contributors for their support towards the IAPC’s Exclusive Articles for this month. I invite you to savour the interesting articles featured this month.

Last but not the least, I once again invite you to participate in the 31st Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2024) at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in February 2024. All IAPC members are also requested to participate in the IAPC’s upcoming AGBM during the conference. With an aim to capture the momentum of the upcoming conference, the IAPC has published a short interview to reflect the thoughts of Dr Geeta Joshi, the Organising Chair of IAPCON 2024.  Please click here to read this insightful interview. The organising committee is working tirelessly and eagerly to welcome the national and international delegates. We are all looking forward to meeting you.

Sending you the best wishes and wishing you all a Very Happy New Year!

With warm regards,

Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar
President, IAPC