How much is too much? A Life-Changing Encounter – Dr Khusbu Singh, Bhubaneswar A Profound Encounter Some encounters in life leave an everlasting imprint on your soul, shaking your perception of strength and resilience. Meeting Sunny (Name changed), was one such encounter. A home care visit to a small village near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, unexpectedly unfolded…
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Navigating the River: Reflections of a woman in Global Palliative Care – Dr Megan Doherty, Geneva, Switzerland Palliative care offers a fulfilling and meaningful journey to those who choose to work in this field. Despite palliative care being an essential component of health, and a key component of Universal Health Coverage, access to palliative care…
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Synergizing Expertise: Transforming Palliative Care in India Through Collaboration – Dr Arun Ghoshal (Manipal) and Ms Archana Ganesh (Bengaluru) Collaboration is the cornerstone of palliative care. In our experience, a collaboration between healthcare professionals and administrators/marketing professionals can significantly enhance the reach, accessibility, and impact of palliative care. While a doctor’s medical expertise ensures quality…
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Reflecting on my Journey in Palliative Care – Ms Meenu Yadav, Jodhpur For me, Palliative care is not just a field of medicine; it is a commitment to ease the suffering and to be able to provide holistic support to patients suffering from serious health related illnesses and their families. While undergoing my training in…
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Medicine Beyond Pills: A dose of humanity – Ms Sneha P, Vallikkunnu, Kerala Until two years ago, my understanding of palliative care was limited to a brief notation in my nursing studies, and as a topic for a potential essay question. Occasionally, I’d see the palliative care vehicle of our panchayat passing by while I…
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What being a ‘caregiver’ taught me: A Doctor’s Perspective – Dr Parul Raina, Bengaluru Being a doctor and caring for patients is one side of the story. But what if you find yourself on the other side? When a ‘Doctor’ Becomes a ‘Caregiver’!! When your loved one is in a critical condition and you are…
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Is it Time to Revise Medical Ethics? – Dr Pratyasa Padhi, Bhubaneswar One afternoon, while visiting the medical oncology ward for palliative care consultations, I encountered a 45-year-old man with a bandage on his right lower limb, sitting on the bed alongside his wife. As I was about to see him, the ward attendant informed…
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Distress to de-stress: A journey – Dr. Ravi Kiran Pothamsetty, Madurai Mrs. Shanti (name changed for confidentiality), a 66-year-old female and a post-treated case of endometrial and ovarian carcinoma recently visited the Medical Oncology OPD with her daughter-in-law, exhibiting despair and mood turbulence. She was referred to the Palliative Care team. We introduced her our…
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Advancing the Law for Advance Medical Directives – Dr Dhvani Mehta, New Delhi The law is inextricably intertwined in relation to palliative care, especially in India, not always for the good. The law is misunderstood (“withholding/withdrawing life-sustaining treatment is euthanasia”), it is misinterpreted (“palliative sedation is illegal”), and it is misdirected (“discharging patients against medical…
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A transformative encounter My story with Sister Bindu – Anu Savio Thelly, Pondicherry In 2010, I crossed paths with Sister Bindu during a seemingly routine hospice visit, a syllabus requirement for my nursing education. That fleeting moment would profoundly impact my journey. I met her in the corridors of Karunashraya. As fellow Malayalis, our connection…
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