'UP hospitals need to provide palliative care'

LUCKNOW: To spread awareness on palliative care, members of the Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) will observe the World Hospice Day on Saturday.

The members have requested the government to take up training and workshop of primary health care givers employed at government hospitals in the area of palliative care to improve the quality of life of both patients and their family members.

There is no specialized centre for palliative care at government hospitals in the state.

The theme this year is 'Palliative care, Because I matter'.

The members said there is need for government and public awareness on the issue of pain relief for terminally ill patients irrespective of their aged.

Sharing data that revealed holes in the healthcare system, senior member of WHPCA and medical director of Aastha hospice in Lucknow, Dr Abhishek Shukla said, "There are less than 1% patients in the state suffering from terminal illness who currently have access to palliative care. No government hospital at the district levels has the specialized units and the higher centres which have anything close to palliative care is just basic pain management. We have requested the government to mainstream palliative care so that those who are terminally ill and given up on by hospitals, can live the end of their life in lesser pain and in dignity."