Newsletter: October 2026 Edition
From the President’s Desk
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
October brings World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD), observed on the second Saturday of the month (10 October this year). The theme for 2026 is “Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care.” Relieving pain in all its dimensions, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual, is at the heart of what we do. It is a day to remind ourselves and our communities that access to palliative care in serious illness is a matter of dignity and a basic human need. Across India, professionals, volunteers, and caregivers work every day to relieve pain and suffering, often with very limited resources. This day is an occasion to honour that work and to raise awareness of palliative care…
Announcements / Messages from IAPC
IAPC’s Infographic of the month: Bereavement Care
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: IAPC and Alpha Palliative Care Jointly Organise International Conference – 9 to 11 October 2026
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: Share your event with IAPC
IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses: Step 1 Online Screening Test Results Announced
New Issue Alert! Indian Journal of Palliative Care (IJPC)
Eight States. One Northeast. One Shared Purpose: IAPC’s North-East Regional Chapter Inaugurated
IAPCON 2027: Call for Abstracts
Leverage the IAPC’s Social Media to stay connected!
New vacancies from across the country now published in the IAPC’s Careers page
Call for Support: Your 2 minutes = Someone’s entire lifetime of Peace, Comfort and Dignity!
‘Saath Saath Helpline’: India’s free palliative care helpline
Education and Training
First North-East Palliative Care Leadership Meet and Academic Symposium Organised Successfully
Online Final Examination for FCEPC July 2026 Batch Conducted Successfully
IAPC’s Foundation Course in Palliative Care Pharmacy: Part A Online Workshop Held on 26 September 2026
Half-Day CME on “Pain and Beyond: Contemporary Perspectives in Palliative Oncology” Held at BBCI, Guwahati
Access Changes Lives: NIMHANS Santvana Brings Children and Families Together to Live Well with Muscular Dystrophy
2-Day ELNEC Training for Nurses Successfully Completed at BBCI, Guwahati
Palliative Care Nursing Models and Multidisciplinary Collaboration Discussed at ONCOS 1.0, AIIMS Gorakhpur
WHO Academy Launches New Course on Planning Palliative Care Services
IAPC-APM Monday Morning Lecture Series
Awards and Recognitions
Dr M R Rajagopal Receives The Hindu BusinessLine Iconic Change Maker Award 2026 for Palliative Care
Pain and Palliative Care Society, Thrissur Receives Recognition from Indian Cancer Society, Bangalore
Dr Biju Raghavan Conferred Fellowship of the Geriatric Society of India
Closing the Gap: A New Beginning for Paediatric Palliative Care in Bengaluru, India
One Year of Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre: Building a University Ecosystem for Palliative Care
Interesting Reads
IAPC’s Exclusive Articles
- “Between Empty Chairs and Weathered Homes: A Psycho-Oncologist’s Journey“ – by Ms Anamika Pandey, Delhi
- “Dignity in Life, Dignity in Death“ – by Dr Asoke Chackalacal Mathew, Chennai
- “The Biggest Gap in Palliative Care isn’t the accessibility, it’s Awareness“ – by Ms Riddhi Tomar, Poanta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh
Other Compelling reads
- “How I Use AI“ – by IAHPC Board Member Maya Jane Bates, originally published in IAHPC’s Pallinews
- “Finding a Silent Support System in AI“ – by Dr Annabel Howell and Laura Dale Harris, Originally published in ehospice
Other upcoming events
IAPC’s Events
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD): International Conference hosted by IAPC & Alpha Palliative Care, 9-11 October 2026
“Sharpen Your Skills – 2026″: IAPC’s Nursing Faculty Training, 21-22 November 2026
IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses: Final Examination, 23 November 2026
WBIAPCON 2026: 2nd Conference of the West Bengal Chapter of IAPC, 21-22 November, Kolkata
IAPC Assam Chapter Organises 2nd Assam Conference, 5-6 December, Silchar
34th International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2027), 19-21 February 2027, Bhubaneswar
Other Events from India
National Conference on Palliative Care Nursing: “Healing Hands, Leading Voices”, 13-24 November 2026, Bengaluru
IAPC – ISA Palliative Care Sessions at 73rd National Conference of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (ISACON National), 28 November 2026
3rd Jella Nandedkar Memorial Hybrid Symposium on Evidence-Based Palliative Care
IPSICON 2027: Global Conference on Integrating Psychosocial and Spiritual Interventions in Healthcare, 23-24 January 2027
Upcoming Global Events
Webinar: “Honoring Cultural Values in Palliative Care” (World Hospice & Palliative Care Day 2026), 9 October 2026
21st EAPC World Congress (EAPC 2027), Glasgow, United Kingdom, Abstract Submission Closes on 31 October
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Join IAPC
Join with us in our effort to provide palliative care to the suffering fellow beings. You can support the activities of Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), the national level Umbrella Organization for Palliative Care groups working in India, by:
- Being a Member of IAPC.
- Support our activities by sponsoring our projects or making donations to IAPC. (Income tax relaxation under 80-G is available for all donations to IAPC.)
- Once you sponsor a project / make donations, you will be added in our list of supporters and all further communication including the monthly newsletter and important announcements will be sent to you.
To donate to IAPC, please see the bank account details Here
To join IAPC, please please register yourself Here
Academics
Foundation Course on Essentials of Palliative Care
Foundation Course in Palliative Care for Volunteers
Foundation Course in Palliative Care Pharmacy
Foundation Course in the Physiotherapy – Palliative Care interface
Managing Psychosocial issues of patients with Chronic Illnesses
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