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IAPC Gold Medal for Nurses 2026: Step 1 Results
IAPC Gold Medal for Nurses 2026: Step 1 Results We are delighted to announce the results of the Step 1 online screening test for IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses 2026. A total of 139 nurses registered, of whom 101 were eligible to sit the screening test, held between 1 and 31 August 2026. highest number of applicants were from Karnataka and Kerala (21 each), with Rajasthan in second place (17…
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Every Home Is a Lesson in Life
Every Home Is a Lesson in Life Alpha Palliative Home Care Team, Kuttanad Today’s home care visits to seven homes have left a deep weight in our hearts. We met children and daughters-in-law caring for mothers in their 90s, despite the struggles of poverty, age and illness. We met a 90-year-old mother caring for her son, who is over 60 years, and suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In…
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When the Language of Suffering Fails Us: A Clinician’s Reflection
When the Language of Suffering Fails Us: A Clinician’s Reflection Dr Lipika Patra, Kolkata Visible injuries are easy to name. A fracture appears on an X-ray; a wound can be dressed. They draw attention, intervention, and often sympathy. What remains less visible is harder to recognise: emotional trauma, grief, and a quieter, more diffuse form of suffering; existential distress. Years of working in palliative care have shaped my understanding of…
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Gratitude
Gratitude Dr Ruparna Khurana, New Delhi He was 39 and his cancer progressed faster than the family could fathom. Amidst anger, denial, bargaining and blame there was a man battling excruciating and unbearable pain. Like molten lava the pain engulfed his entire being. I remember his humour in middle of a pain crisis, his flashing a smile every time we greeted him good morning on the morning rounds. There is…
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IAPC Announces Awards Worth Rs 4 Lakhs for Paper and Poster Presentations at IAPCON 2027
IAPC Announces Awards Worth Rs 4 Lakhs for Paper and Poster Presentations at IAPCON 2027 The Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) is pleased to announce a total prize pool of ₹4,00,000 for the winners of the paper and poster presentation competitions at the 34th Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2027). This prestigious competition invites entries under four distinct categories: Doctors Doctors (Students) – MD/DNB…
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A Cup of Coffee, A Cup of Gratitude
A Cup of Coffee, A Cup of Gratitude Dr Rajith R., Coimbatore One of the most beautiful moments during home visits is something that can never be documented in a patient record—the inevitable cup of coffee waiting for us. We receive the same invitation in almost every home: “Doctor, please have a cup of coffee before you leave.” Sometimes it’s coffee, sometimes tea, sometimes a small snack lovingly prepared. It…
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When Words Fall Silent: Communication Beyond Words in Palliative Care
When Words Fall Silent: Communication Beyond Words in Palliative Care Mr Anshid C. I., Chennai “Communication is the key.” Everyone working in palliative care has probably heard this sentence many times. Classes on communication, training sessions, models, and protocols are part of our learning. We are taught how to talk to patients and their families, how to break bad news, what to say, what not to say, and when silence…
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Some people leave the hospital, Some never leave your heart
Some people leave the hospital, Some never leave your heart Dr Amit Jain, Delhi “मैं उनके सामने कमज़ोर नहीं पड़ सकता…” A few days ago, a 76-year-old gentleman with advanced prostate cancer was admitted to our Palliative and End-of-Life Care Unit. He had been under our care before, but this time, the disease had won the battle against his body. The cancer had already spread to his lungs and liver.…
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Attend IAPCON 2027 with IAPC Support
Attend IAPCON 2027 with IAPC Support Apply for the Conference Participation Grant Supporting Early-Career Professionals to Participate in IAPCON 2027 The Indian Association of Palliative Care is pleased to invite applications for the IAPC Conference Participation Grant 2027. The objective of this grant is to encourage and support promising early-career professionals working in palliative care, particularly those serving in rural, remote, and resource-constrained settings, by facilitating their participation in the 34th International Conference…
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When Seeing Was More Than Sight
When Seeing Was More Than Sight A Psycho-Oncology Narrative Ms Alisha Karim, Varanasi How She Got Here The diagnosis came late and came hard. In December 2025, a brain lesion was read as tuberculoma. Anjali started anti-TB treatment. She was on it for months. Then she began coughing up blood. Bronchoscopy. Biopsy. And then the actual diagnosis: metastatic adenocarcinoma of the left lung, already in the brain, lymph nodes, adrenal…
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The Courage to Stand Down at the Fractured Bedside
The Courage to Stand Down at the Fractured Bedside Dr. Ravi Kiran Pothamsetty, Madurai “I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A caregiver once asked me during ward rounds, “Can you extend my father’s life by…
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The Other Side of Medicine — A Reflection on My Journey in Palliative Care
“The Other Side of Medicine” — A Reflection on My Journey in Palliative Care Dr. Vanumu Divya Sai, Hyderabad There are moments in medicine that stay with you—not because of what you treated, but because of what you felt. I was trained, like most of us, to diagnose, to intervene, to cure. Success was measurable. Numbers improved, scans reduced, discharges increased. Through medical school, I followed that path closely. I…
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