Will you walk with me till death? – Ms Vandana Mahajan, New Delhi Aamir (Name changed) was 28 years old when I met him for the first time. It was a busy day at the OPD. I was talking to a few people when one of the doctors called out to me, “Can you please counsel…
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Reflections from a silent guardian: The vital role of a social worker in palliative care – Ms Vahini Bodasing, Hyderabad The vital role discharged by a Social worker in hospice care often goes unnoticed. Social workers help provide essential emotional support, facilitate communication, and help arrange practical assistance for palliative care patients and their families…
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Mishti Doi: From Chennai to Cooch Behar – Dr. Meenakshi V V, Chennai Unrelenting lower limb pain with an ominous looking lesion in the lumbar vertebral space brought 9-year-old Ajay (name changed) and his family from West Bengal to Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, in November 2022. The family’s worst fears were confirmed when the oncologists…
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Individual grief manifests as love for the community – Ms. Sailaja Tripathy, Bhubaneswar Deepesh’s association with Amrit Dhara Palliative Care Trust (ADPCT) was made possible by Ms Namrata Rath (Managing Trustee and Secretary, ADPCT), who was a source of support during his cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Deepesh was a 25-year-old gentleman who was…
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What is at the heart of nursing?: My recent Reflections – Erika Cleborne-Bérubé, Edinburgh I maintain that being a nurse involves far more than competently completing a set of clinical tasks, such as recording clinical observations, it must involve the care of the patient as a whole person. How one nurse can be the difference…
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Death at my doorstep – Dr Sharada Vinod Kutty, New Delhi I’ve been a medical student since 2004. I remember how I would run from the wards to the outpatient departments to the medical camps and so on. I was like a sponge trying to imbibe all the information around me. I particularly loved my…
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Unveiling Shadows: The Weight of Unspoken Truths in Terminal Illnesses – Ms Shelbi Baby, Ireland In times of terminal illnesses, the weight of unspoken truths can cast a shadow over the journey ahead. It’s not uncommon for individuals and their loved ones to shy away from having difficult conversations surrounding death and dying. However, as…
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The Other One – Dr Jewell Joseph, Vellore “There is no one in the world, other than your siblings, who knows what it’s like to have been raised the way you were.” In many ways, the sibling bond is unique. It encompasses the comfort of family, the freshness of friendship and the spirit of rivalry.…
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Palliative Care on ground, on air, and everywhere! – Mr Umesh Pandey, Siliguri The one thing that I always craved for was to be able to make people smile and make them feel special and happy. Though I am not a philanthropist, I try to fulfil my desires through my role as a Radio Jockey…
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How Palliative Care and Dolls Helped My Father Beat the Odds and Reclaim His Spark – Ms Punita Khatter, Gurgaon My 92-year-old father, a retired army officer with two heart attacks (25% heart function), and advanced Alzheimer’s, fell critically ill in early September, 2023. He developed dysphagia, a common Alzheimer’s swallowing complication that worsened with…
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