West Zone: World Hospice & Palliative Care Day Celebration at
Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Department of Palliative Medicine at Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), commemorated and celebrated this year’s World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) by organizing three separate activities.
- The ASCO Palliative Care eCourse (APCeC) was conducted under the aegis of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Curriculum Project (PCIC). This was the first time that ASCO conducted a Palliative Care eCourse in India. The 16 hour training program was spread over two weekends in October and was led by Dr. Frank Ferris (PCIC), Dr. Jayita Deodhar (TMH) and Ms Vanessa Eaton (ASCO).
25 International and National faculty from 7 countries delivered the training program which was attended by 168 professionals from oncology, palliative medicine, general medicine, family medicine, anaesthesia, nursing, rehabilitation, psychology and counseling. One of the course participants shared that “This is one of the most brilliant courses I have ever attended. Simply amazing.”
- The Pediatric Palliative Care Project of the Department of Palliative Medicine, TMH, celebrated WHPCD and Hats on 4CPC (Children’s Palliative Care) event with children beneficiaries and their caregivers at the two project sites (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH), Kalwa, and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai) with support from the Dept. of Pediatrics from each hospital. The project is in collaboration with the Cipla Foundation.
- Celebrations at CSMH, Kalwa, was organized in a hybrid manner with children staying in near proximity to the center joining the celebrations physically while the rest of the children joining in virtually. Children and their siblings were encouraged to make hats at their homes, prior to the celebrations, and send in photos and videos from this activity along with other videos of them singing, dancing etc. We were overwhelmed to note that despite their sufferings, the enthusiastic children sent in their videos sufficiently in advance, which allowed us to broadcast them during the program.
- Celebrations at BYL Nair Hospital involved children from the wards making attractive hats with help from the project team, the Doctors, the HOD of Department of Pediatrics and Ms Rumana Hamied. Everyone wore their hats thereafter.
- Celebrations at CSMH, Kalwa, was organized in a hybrid manner with children staying in near proximity to the center joining the celebrations physically while the rest of the children joining in virtually. Children and their siblings were encouraged to make hats at their homes, prior to the celebrations, and send in photos and videos from this activity along with other videos of them singing, dancing etc. We were overwhelmed to note that despite their sufferings, the enthusiastic children sent in their videos sufficiently in advance, which allowed us to broadcast them during the program.
- An awareness activity for our patients’ caregivers was also organised on this occasion. Leaflets providing information about Palliative care was distributed to the caregivers present there.
