From the President’s Desk
Dear Friends,
Days and months are flying fast! In this very fast paced life, we are also running towards doing our best to fulfil our duties.
While we are still trying to fully internalise and incorporate the enormous knowledge shared during IAPCON 2023, the wheel is already turning for us at the IAPC, as we find ourselves already involved in preparing for the next academic feast, the 31st Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2024). On behalf of the IAPC and the organising committee of IAPCON 2024, I am excited to share a few updates and also wholeheartedly invite each of you to IAPCON 2024. IAPCON 2024 will be an in-person conference organised by the team from Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Ahmedabad. The conference is scheduled to be held at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, between Friday 9th February, 2024, and Sunday, 11th February, 2024. I invite those interested in conducting preconference workshops to please submit their proposals before Wednesday, 31st May, 2023. Please visit the ‘Announcements / Messages from IAPC’ section of this newsletter for further information on this.
I am also delighted to share that the IAPC’s Delhi State Chapter was formally inaugurated on Saturday, 15th April, 2023. Congratulations and best wishes to the members and office bearers of the IAPC’s Delhi State Chapter. I am certain that they will take palliative care to the forefront in the region.
The IAPC is also inviting applications for the second online batch of the IAPC’s Certificate Course in Palliative Care for Volunteers (CCPCV), scheduled for June 2023. This much needed program, has been designed and developed to help create compassionate communities, provide opportunities for committed individuals to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills, and empower them to volunteer their services to deliver Palliative Care. I request you to please share this course widely as we join hands in creating compassionate communities.
The IAPC also delivered a regional edition of the CCPCV this month in collaboration with Shanti Palliative Care Centre, Siliguri, West Bengal. A total of 31 candidates have been trained via this program. My heartfelt congratulations to Dr Pankaj Chowdhary (Program Lead, Shanti Palliative Care Centre), Dr K V Ganpathy (Course Coordinator, IAPC’s CCPCV program), and to all the faculty for sharing their expertise and knowledge during their sessions and for making this program a huge success. Further details regarding this program are available in the ‘Education and Training’ section of this newsletter.
The 3rd batch of the IAPC’s Course in the Physiotherapy- Palliative Care interface was organised successfully on Saturday, 29th April, 2023, in which 27 candidates (Physiotherapists, Doctors, and Nurses) underwent training in this online program. I extend my sincere congratulations to Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan (Course Coordinator) and the faculty team for organising this program.
It is with pleasure I share that 310 Doctors and 125 Nurses successfully undertook the IAPC’s Certificate Course in Essentials of Palliative Care (CCEPC) online examination on Saturday, 1st April 2023. Congratulations to all the participants! I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the faculty, the centre coordinators, and Dr Lulu Mathews (Chairperson, Board of Examiners, IAPC) for their untiring and consistent efforts towards making this program a big success.
On news from the IAPC Academy, 4 superb lectures have been delivered this month as part of the IAPC Academy’s online Lecture Series 6. I invite you to please join us for the sessions scheduled for May 2023. Please visit the ‘Education and Training’ section of the newsletter to know how you can join us. This section also provides with you reports from the various other important training programs that have been conducted successfully by palliative care organisations from across the country. Congratulations to all the organizers for their relentless efforts in furthering the development of palliative care across the country.
The persistence and hard work of our colleagues never goes unrecognised or without bearing fruits. Details of their initiatives, achievements, and awards have been shared in the ‘Awards and Recognitions’ section of this newsletter. My heartiest congratulations to each of our colleagues and their teams.
Don’t forget to read the interesting and thought provoking articles published in the ‘IAPC’s Exclusive Article’ section in newsletter. This month’s publications include:
- ‘Intersection of Palliative Care in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A New Frontier?’ by Dr Jyothsna Kuriakose, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, in commemoration of World Autism Awareness Day (2nd April, 2023)
- ‘World Art Day: Role of Art, Artist and Art Therapy in Palliative Care’ by Ms Pragati Adhikari, Bengaluru, Karnataka, in celebration of World Art Day (15thApril, 2023)
- ‘Reflections on innovation and creativity in palliative care’ by Dr Fiona Rawlinson, Cardiff, United Kingdom, in acknowledgement of World Creativity and Innovation Day (21st April, 2023)
My message is never complete without my expressing our sincere gratitude to Shankar Mahadevan Academy Nirvana (SMA Nirvana) for their consistent support in organising and presenting us with ‘Singing for the Stars’ our free, online, musical concert for our “real stars”. Many thanks for these precious evenings of solace and serenity filled with music and laughter!
Take care and warm regards to all,
Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar
President, IAPC