WHPCD celebrations: 2024

On October 5th, Dept. of Pain and Palliative Medicine at RGCIRC, Rohini, ND, organized Hospice and Palliative care Event (HOPE- ’24).

Dr Sushma Bhatnagar, President, IAPC, delivered a powerful keynote address, illuminating the progress and current landscape of palliative care in India.

A panel discussion moderated by Dr Rajiv Chawla, shed light on the current scenario and challenges in palliative care across government, private sectors, and NGOs. The panelists, included Dr S Khanna (Dharamshila Hospital & Research Centre), Dr Bimla Sharma (SGRH, Delhi), Prof Rakesh Garg, Dr Kinshuki Jain (RGCIRC), and Mr K V Hamza (dnipcare DNipCare). Dr Bikram Jyoti, ICU incharge, RGCIRC, highlighted the futility of invasive treatments for advanced cancer, while Dr Vandana Jain (RGCIRC) brought attention to the critical role of pain management and Palliative care in gynecological cancers. Dr Kinshuki Jain introduced the concepts of palliative care and advanced care planning and directives.

The patients and delegates enriched the event by sharing their journeys and the attendees also took part in cultural activities including dance and live music.

The event witnessed active participation of over 200 delegates —members from the community, dedicated Abha workers, social workers, volunteers, patients, caregivers, nurses and doctors. Together, we emphasized that palliative care transcends treatment by offering comfort, dignity, and unwavering support to those facing non-curable diseases.

In connection with the WHPCD 2024, themed ‘Ten Years Since the Resolution: How are we doing?’, Pallium India (PI), NGO in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, dedicated to alleviating serious health-related suffering organized a special event on October 12th at Lagoona Beach Resort, Thiruvananthapuram. This gathering provided a sanctuary for patients and their families to immerse themselves in the tranquil beauty of beach.

The event was inaugurated by Ms. Gilly Burn, Director of Care Response International, and Mr. Rajesh, a beneficiary of PI and a spinal cord injury survivor. Ms. Burn, steadfast friend of PI spoke about historical roots of palliative care in India and significance of palliative care. Mr. Binod Hariharan, Chairman of PI, and Dr. Sunil Kumar, Director in Charge also addressed the gathering. The day was infused with color and vitality through cultural programs performed by beneficiaries.Breakfast and lunch complemented the festivities. The atmosphere unfolded in tapestry of joy and laughter intricately woven by beauty of the beach.

On October 16, 2024, PI, in collaboration with Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science and Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, organized a discussion on advance care planning and introduced the concept of Death Café for Public Health students, as part of WHPCD 2024. The session began with an introduction to Death Café, followed by a session on advance care planning by Dr. Sunil Kumar. The words of many students echoed with a courageous resilience.

On 20th of October, 2024, Pratishruti Cancer & Palliative Trust, Dibrugarh (www.pratishrti.org), observed World Hospice & Palliative Care Day. Honored Guest Gilly Burn, a renowned Global Figure in Palliative Care (University of Durham, UK) also graced the occasion.

Dr. Gayatri Gogoi outlined Pratishruti’s mission. Dr. D. Thengal & nurse Dalimi Gogoi presented home visit team’s efforts. Dr. F.  S. Hakeem, Dr. Kavery Borah and Asmita Kalita, shared insights on palliative care & psychosocial support.

Jogeswar Baruah, retired joint secretary of the Assam Government, lauded Pratishruti’s dedication to alleviating the physical, mental, and social pain of cancer patients and their families. Renowned literary figure Dr. Karabi Deka Hazarika praised Pratishruti’s selfless work.

Finally, special guest, Gilly Burn addressed the gathering. Her words of encouragement and expertise left a lasting impression on the doctors, nurses, and volunteers present.

As the event concluded, the room was filled with a sense of unity and purpose. Pratishruti’s unwavering commitment to palliative care had brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds, all united in their quest to provide comfort and dignity to those in need.

The Department of Onco-Anesthesia & Palliative Medicine, Dr. B.R.A IRCH,AIIMS, New Delhi, hosted 8th CME of Delhi IAPC on “Neuro-Palliative Care” followed by “Public lecture on Advanced Care Directives and Living Will” on the occasion of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2024 celebration on 15th October,2024.

In the morning the agenda commenced with a warm welcome from Dr Seema Mishra, followed by addresses from Dr Sushma Bhatnagar, Dr Roop Gursahani, Dr Manjari Tripathi and Dr Gowri Nambiar Sengupta.

The sessions delved into topics such as basics of neuro-palliative care, adult & paediatric neurological conditions, the ethical issues in end of life care patients with neurological conditions. It was followed by panel discussion moderated by Dr Seema Mishra on multi-disciplinary approach in management of chronic neurological conditions.

In the end role play was performed by residents. Overall, the event provided a comprehensive exploration of neuro-palliative care featuring presentations and interactive sessions.

In afternoon a public lecture was organised on the theme “ Advanced Care Directives and Living Will” and featured experts: Prof. Randeep Guleria, Dr Dipankar Bhowmik, Dr Roop Gursahani, Dr Manjari Triapthi, Dr Sandeep Seth, Dr Seema Mishra and Dr Dhvani Mehta. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr Sushma Bhatnagar. It was an engrossing panel session which was well attended by general public as well as healthcare experts.

Golden Butterflies Children’s Palliative Care Foundation, in partnership with Madras School of Social Work, organized the ‘Palliative Care Hackathon 2024’ to commemorate World Hospice & Palliative Care Day. The hackathon aimed to tackle critical challenges in pediatric palliative care in Tamil Nadu by engaging students from various disciplines. The event fostered collaboration, encouraging innovative, real-world solutions to address gaps in awareness, accessibility, and cultural acceptance.

The hackathon featured multidisciplinary participation, particularly from BSW and MSW students, to create holistic approaches combining medical, social, technological, and community-based strategies. Highlighted solutions included integrating primary healthcare centers with pediatric palliative care, mobile palliative care units for rural access, and AI tools for personalized care. The culturally-sensitive ‘Nanmaiyudan Niraiya’ model also emphasized delivering compassionate end-of-life care. The event promoted community engagement through education, outreach, and sustainable models for long-term impact.

We are committed to mentoring participants, turning ideas into action, and scaling this initiative as an annual event to drive meaningful change. By empowering youth to innovate, the foundation envisions a future where palliative care is accessible and compassionate for all.The success of the hackathon demonstrates that when young minds are given a platform, transformative solutions emerge.

SPARSH HOSPICE celebrated WORLD HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE DAY (WHPCD) 2024 in Hyderabad on October 14. Welcoming the gathering of doctors, caregivers, beneficiaries and guests to the event Dr M. Subrahmanyam, Long-term Trustee, Sparsh Hospice said “Sparsh a 82-bedded facility has been serving the palliative care and hospice needs of the people of Telangana from the last 13 years through inpatient, home care services and outpatient services.

The centre has crossed serving 11,000 beneficiaries which comes with this year’s theme.

SRI C. DAMODAR RAJANARSIMHA, The Hon’ble Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Science and Technology Minister was the Chief Guest for the event. Speaking on the occasion he said “I am feeling that I am visiting a temple. I am touched by the services offered by the palliative care team of Sparsh. I will offer all help in my personal capacity to make this wonderful project sustainable.”

Minister also mentioned that as we go on pilgrimages with the quest of satisfaction, courage, comfort, desire and hope. But the real temple and the real service can be found in venues like Sparsh.

He further committed to onboard Sparsh Hospice under the Aarogyasri scheme, which will sustain the Trust running Sparsh project and multiply the impact of the project. If it’s completed Sparsh will be first hospice in India under any government’s community health insurance scheme.

Sparsh Hospice was the first center for palliative care in united Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

We recently had a wonderful three-day celebration WHPCD, joined by our well-wishers, donors, patients, families, and staff. The final day we have tried on marking an opportunity for the team to reflect on the past 10 years.

On the first day, we have witnessed an incredible performance by Violina, combining classical dance with live music—a rare and awe-inspiring experience for many. Patients later shared that they never imagined they would witness something like this during their stay at the hospice. They expressed that the event was beyond anything they had ever experienced and left them deeply moved.

Throughout the celebration, the hospice resonated with the soulful sounds of Hindustani classical music, creating a truly magical atmosphere. Day 2 featured a mesmerizing sitar performance, which touched both patients and bereaved families. Some family members expressed their emotions through tears, while others honored their loved ones by offering gifts to the patients.

The final day culminated in a beautiful musical evening, where hospice patients and bereaved families shared heartfelt reflections on their experiences and thoughts on palliative care. The nursing staff added to the joy by performing skits that brought so much laughter to everyone.

Santanu, our director, who was a professional musician before founding the hospice, accompanied the entire three-day celebration on the tabla, adding his special touch to the event.

I organized an event at an Art Gallery in Mumbai to celebrate WHPCD. The aim of the event was to celebrate life, and talk about life and its quality, and how we may make it dignified, free of suffering and filled with quality in the best way that our science and our humanity allows. To paraphrase Dame Cicely Saunders: our shared humanity demands that we deserve no less.

The poets of the day were our own Palliative care specialist colleague from PD Hinduja Hospital, Dr Smriti Khanna, and her husband, Dr Siddharth Warrier a neurologist and digital-health influencer. Both the poets captured the audience with their sensitive, brilliant poems and set the pace for the evening.

Punit Pania is one of the most prolific comedians in the country and he was happy to join us in the celebration with a half an hour stand up special. His stand-up comedy kept the audience in splits, and he navigated sensitive issues like death, dying and elderly care with great humor and sensitivity. This year, I wished to bring a small element of positivity, the grace that people with chronic illnesses and their families bring to us, the inspiration in the day-to-day activities, and above all, to the sheer dedication of all colleagues in this branch.

More strength to all, more smiles, more joy as we celebrate life. I hope to see more of you all at the next celebration!

The Department of Anaesthesia’s Pain and Palliative Care Unit launched early festivities on 5th October 2024, for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with a street play by VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital MBBS students, highlighting “Collusion” near Medical Oncology, Haematology OPD and New Emergency Building. Patients were presented with gifts, accompanied by musical and dance performances. The programme attracted a large audience of doctors, nurses, and students. The theme, “Ten Years Since the Resolution: How are we doing?” underscores the ongoing commitment to supporting individuals with palliative care needs. #WHPCD

On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2024, JLN Medical College, Ajmer, raised awareness on palliative care’s role in enhancing life quality for patients with serious illnesses. Dr. Deepak Garg, Head of the Palliative Care Unit, highlighted that despite the need for palliative care for 60 million people globally, only 2% receive it due to lack of awareness. To address this, the unit published articles detailing their services, such as pain management and symptom relief for conditions like cancer, stroke, chronic heart failure, chronic kidney diseases, respiratory diseases, neuromuscular, HIV, old age and mentally and physically incapacitated children.

JLN is also set to launch home care services for patients unable to visit the hospital. Principal Dr. Anil Samaria and Superintendent Dr. Arvind Khare are spearheading these initiatives, improving access to palliative care.

Dr. Deepak Garg conducted a session at the District Hospital on the importance of early palliative care, while JLN hosted its first Continuous Nursing Education (CNE) session to train nurses in symptom management and compassionate care.

The event creatively symbolized Dussehra with Ravana’s heads representing symptoms like pain and anxiety, highlighting how palliative care eliminates these. With new services and educational initiatives, JLN is committed to expanding palliative care access.

On the occasion of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, themed as 10 years of palliative care , what we have achieved? A special program was organized at Mahamana Pandit Madanmohan Malviya Cancer Centre (MPMMCC, Varanasi) on 19/10/24. The day began with introduction by Dr. Somnath Dey (Associate Professor, OIC, Palliative Medicine) and an inspiring sessions with lamp lighting and inauguration by our Director (Dr. Satyajit Pradhan Sir), followed by a wish-granting ceremony organised by make my wish foundation and Supported by Cipla Foundation for the children, spreading smiles and hope. Caregivers of Children shared their thoughts on the importance of Palliative Care emphasizing its role in providing comfort and dignity to patients.

The hospital staff actively participated in the celebrations, performing beautiful songs that uplifted everyone’s spirits. The event also featured poster presentations by the staff nurses, showcasing their knowledge and dedication toward palliative care. In addition, the talented children displayed their artwork and activities filling the space with creativity and color. Dr. Kunal Ranjan Vinayak and Dr. Abhinav Mishra did a great job as hosts keeping the program engaging and lively.

Overall, it was a heartwarming and encouraging program that highlighted the significance of Palliative Care and the compassionate efforts of the hospital staff. The event inspired everyone to continue working toward better care for those in need.

The department of Pain and Palliative Care at Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Hyderabad, organised a Panel Discussion with senior consultants of various specialities on the occasion of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 17th of October, 2024. The discussion started with Dr. Praneeth Suvvari, Consultant In-charge, elucidating the developments in the area of Palliative Care at the National level which included highlighting IAPC’s efforts towards increasing awareness and access to PC services.

This was followed by a talk given by Dr. Praveen Kumar K, Senior Consultant, on the growth of the department since its inception in 2021. He also discussed about the importance of collaborative research between Palliative Medicine and other specialties, and the establishment of evidence-based protocols for Palliative patients. The panel discussion included conversations on Collaborative inter specialty research projects, Novel models of PC in the field of Transplant Unit and ICU, Scope for Palliative surgeries, and Corporate approach towards providing Palliative Care to terminally ill patients.

The panelists included Dr. K. Krishnaiah (CEO, BIAHCRI), Dr. Rakesh Pinninti, Dr. Pavan Kumar, Dr. Veerender Patil, Dr. Srujan Shukla, and Dr. Dileep. A consensus was formed regarding the need to conduct ethical research and multi-centric trials on palliative population to establish institutional guidelines for integration of PC in Cancer population.

Department of Palliative Medicine conducted several activities to increase awareness on the need to strengthen palliative care within comprehensive health care. An awareness session for nursing students at Chittoor Nursing College and a quiz for nursing students at CMC Vellore were conducted. Several staff actively participated in slogan and poster competitions, displaying their rich understanding of palliative care. On October 12th a Walkathon was organised, followed by “PALLIWISE” quiz for all staff and students. The Medical Superintendent and Associate Nursing Superintendent, offered felicitations, distributed prizes and extended their support to the expansion of palliative care.

C3PaC Team AIIMS Bathinda, under the leadership of Dr Mayank Gupta (Lead C3PaC project) kickstarted World Hospice Palliative Care week celebrations by organizing a meet and greet session of community palliative care supporters (ASHAs, SMO, LHVs, CHOs, Rotary, CanSupport, philanthropist). In recognition of their hard work and dedication, several CHOs and ASHA workers were felicitated for their outstanding contributions to palliative care in the community. Local NGOs, which have been providing crucial social support to patients and their families, were also honoured during the event.

Dr Mayank Gupta and Psychologists, Medical social workers and Oncology dieticians from the team sensitized them on psycho-social issues faced and means to address the same. To mark the significance of the day, a tree was planted at CHC Goniana, symbolizing the establishment of strong roots for palliative care in the region. This symbolic gesture reflected the hope that palliative care services will continue to grow and flourish, leading to an improved quality of life for cancer patients in the future.

On October 12th, Arike Palliative Care, in collaboration with IMA Kochi and the Community Resource Center in Health Care (CRHC), organized a workshop on end-of-life care at IMA Hall, Kochi, as part of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The event aimed to improve skills and knowledge in palliative care for doctors, nurses, and caregivers from Ernakulam’s palliative inpatient units.

Sessions covered various aspects of end-of-life care (EoLC), including the current state of EoLC, medical management, and the use of telemedicine. Participants learned about pain management, ethical considerations, and the role of telehealth in supporting bedridden patients. Emphasis was also placed on empowering caregivers with effective communication strategies and self-care, as well as specialized nursing care for bedridden patients.

Feedback from participants was highly positive, especially regarding sessions on palliative medicines and telemedicine, which were seen as innovative and practical. Caregiver empowerment was also a key highlight, helping shift the perspective on the importance of caregiver roles in EoLC.

On the theme, “Ten Years since the Resolution: How we are doing?” GCRI Ahmedabad and it’s satellite centers SCCRI Rajkot, BCCRI Bhavnagar and SCCI – GCRI Siddhapur celebrated world hospice and palliative care day.

Informative presentations were done by the faculties of Department of palliative Medicine at all the centers under the guidance of Director and Deputy Director of the institute. 100 to 200 caregivers, doctors and paramedical staff participated in the celebration at each center.

Presentations contained details of What Palliative care means, for whom it is and where it can be provided. You tube video is created about the same in local language and shared on the multiple platforms. Media for coverage were invited and the matter was published in many newspapers. A video interview with palliative medicine specialist was organized at S. T. medical college to clarify the queries regarding Palliative care for the public. Same is uploaded on the you tube.

As it was the day of Dashera, Graphical presentation symbolizing Ravan was displayed, where ten horrifying symptoms represented ten heads of Ravan being killed by Palliative care providers.

Community Oncology Centre and Hospice was established in 1988 under the philosophic activities of The Gujarat Cancer Society. Dr M T Bhatia, one of the pioneers of palliative care in the country took initiative of training of staff nurses in the subject. Gilly Burn and Dr Pamela Sutton trained four nurses to start Hospice services.

Presently we have 20 beds for hospice, a daily OPD services and home care services. About 450 patients are beneficiaries of hospice services every year.

We celebrated World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with our patients by involving them in various games and entertainment program. They celebrated the event by cake cutting and relishing special meal prepared for them. Many of the patients shared their experience of the hospice stay. Staff nurses performed Garba to entertain the patients.

We distributed 5000 pamphlets in community to create awareness about palliative care and hospice. Volunteers went door to door to talk to people and made them aware about the palliative care services.