Experts stress on providing quality palliative care in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Psychological support is necessary for cancer patients and family plays an imperative role in providing it to them, said experts on Saturday.

Observing the 'World Hospice and Palliative Care Day,' Sneha Sandhya Age Care Foundation in association with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (HBCHRC) organised music concert and cultural programme with nurses and volunteers to extend support and speak about the importance of hospice and palliative care at Dr L Bullayya College on the occasion.

With the theme of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day focusing on 'My Care, My Right,' experts at the programme highlighted the importance of mobilising communities and their role in palliative care.

Managing Trustee and Medical Director of Age Care Foundation N S Raju explained hospice care is a model of care that focuses on providing palliative care to patients with life-limiting illness, focusing on palliating patients' pain and other symptoms, attending to their and their family's emotional needs through multiple interventions.

Explaining the importance of the palliative care, Director of HBCHRC D Raghunadha Rao laid emphasis on symptom control and psychosocial care.

Narrating the challenges faced due to lack of connectivity in rural areas, Department of Palliative Care, HBCHRC Vidya Viswanath said, "Trained volunteers can become integral part of palliative care for enhancing quality of life of the patient in many ways."

Founder-chairman of Pallium India M R Rajagopal said, "98 per cent of Indians today have no access to pain relief or palliative care. Diseases are treated, while suffering is ignored. He further exhorted to build a compassionate healthcare system that accepts responsibility to treat pain and suffering and provide holistic healthcare.