Guide on palliative care
“These are people who may be paralysed, have varying types of cancer and disabilities which threaten their lives – not only are they suffering physically from these infirmities, they also experience stress and trauma, mentally. They deserve compassionate, sympathetic care,” said Dr. Lakshmi Somatunga, Additional Secretary, Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health at the launch of the booklet ‘Touch of Tender Loving Care’.
An informative guide on how to provide palliative care in a home setting for primary caregivers, the booklet, developed by the College of Palliative Medicine of Sri Lanka (CPMSL) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health was launched on October 11 at the Waters Edge Hotel.
Palliative care is an approach that enhances the quality of life for patients, adults and children, and their families who are met with the complications associated with life-threatening, incurable illnesses. Carried out through the prevention and relief of suffering by way of early identification, accurate assessment, and treatment of pain and other issues, which may be physical, psychosocial, or spiritual in nature, it begins at the time of diagnosis of a life-threatening disease and continues throughout its progression and into the family’s bereavement period.
The CPMSL was founded by Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa in 2021 to advance evidence-based palliative medicine and palliative care in the country. The College is made up of a variety of medical interdisciplinary specialists who have come together to work towards raising the standard of care for palliative patients.
Dr. Somatunga (the first President of the College), said the booklet published in English, Sinhala and Tamil details the particulars of providing effective palliative care, a multidisciplinary care giving approach with the prime objective of optimizing the quality of life of the patient. Each chapter was composed by physicians specializing in different areas and covers aspects such as how to enhance the patient’s environment to maximize their comfort, maintaining the patient’s nutrition and hygiene, common problems likely to be encountered by patients, situations in which medical attention should be sought immediately, maintaining mental and spiritual wellbeing, services available to those under palliative care and more.
Dr V. Jeganathan, former Director General of Health Services speaking at the event said, “When they’re looking after patients, for the Doctor it is only a disease that they see and for the matron it’s only a bed that is being occupied. Nobody worries about the human being that is lying on that bed who is expecting not only treatment but also tender care and comfort and this is something that has been addressed in this guide.”
Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa, current President of the CPMSL elaborated on the barriers still obstructing palliative care in the country. Only 14% of patients who require palliative care are able to receive it, he said. Sri Lanka currently has eight hospices. While some advancement has been made with the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital introducing its attached Palliative Care Center, and the CANE hospice in Jaffna and the Cancer Care Association in Karapitiya introducing a home-based care programme, more is needed.
Dr. Somatuga and Dr. Dumindu Wijewardana, Immediate Past Secretary of the CPMSL distributed copies of the guide to officials from the CPMSL, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization and representatives from palliative care institutions from across the country.
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