Please click on the picture for details on the events.

15th Annual General Meeting, 1 May 2015


 

APHN will be starting an editorial team to gather news updates in the region and write articles. We will like to thank the following individuals for volunteering to be part of our team. 



South Korea - Korean Society of Hospice & Palliative Care (KSHPC) comprising of Dr. Yong-Joo Lee (left), Clincal assistant professor, Department of palliative medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic university; Ms June C.W. Lee, Grief Counselor & SW, The Bobath Memorial Hospital,  

Sri Lanka - Cancer Care Association (CCASL) comprising of Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa (President) (3rd from left); Mr. Hasitha Premathilake (Secretary); Dr. Iresh Jayaweera (Chief Organizer) 

In order to provide the most up to date and relevant news, stories and happenings in the region, we will need many more to be part of our team, to be our contact points to report on important developments, touching stories and learning opportunities. If you or your organization will like to help us, please write to us at aphn@aphn.org. 

Thank you!

Invitation to bid for the 13th Asia Pacific Hospice Conference in 2019
Sectors are strongly encourage to submit their bid.
 

Member Discussion Bulletin Board

 

Commencement of Home Base Palliative Care Services in Colombo and Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka 

Written by Cancer Care Association Sri Lanka (CCASL) – APHN Editorial Team (Sri Lanka)

In commemoration of the World Cancer Day which falls on 4th February of every year, Cancer Care Association Sri Lanka (CCASL) expanded its Home Based Palliative Care Service (HBPCS), first of its kind to treat Sri Lankan underprivileged cancer patients, to the districts of Colombo and Anuradhapura.

This service was first inaugurated in the district of Gall, in southern Sri Lanka, by the Karapitiya branch of CCASL under the guidance of Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa (current president of CCASL) and Dr. Iresh Jayaweera (then president of the Karapitiya branch). The objective of HBPCS is to treat palliative cancer patients in the comfort of their own home and amongst loved ones.

A team of volunteers comprising of a medical doctor, a nurse and trained palliative care practitioners from CCASL visit the homes of cancer patients in need of palliative treatments, mostly in remote areas. They engage in activities such as pain management, treating cancer related wounds and bed sores, monitoring the vital signs of patients such as blood pressure, blood glucose level etc., administering relevant drugs (done by the medical practitioner accompanied by the team) and most importantly religious activities such as meditation, counseling etc., to uplift the spiritual well being of the patient (which is of utmost importance, at the palliative care stage).

Hence on 4th February 2015 (World Cancer Day), the CCASL Home Based Palliative Care team visited pre-identified patients in the districts of Colombo and Anuradhapura to inaugurate the expansion of its services to the above mentioned districts. A total of four patients were visited within two days and the patient feedback was immensely positive and highly commendable. CCASL will continue to provide similar services to the underprivileged cancer patients of Sri Lanka, in months to come. Given below are some pictures of the event.

Dr. Iresh Jayaweera and Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa treating the patients
  
Home Base Palliative Care Team during a home visit in Anuradhapura  

Patient monitoring and counselling
 

NEWS IN THE REGION

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The 5 most read posts on the website during the month of March are as follows:

• An update on hospice and palliative care in Malaysia
• New programme to support older people in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Providing Palliative Care in Pakistan - the difficulties
• Perspectives of the Singapore Elderly on Spirituality
• St Jude Children's Research Hospital committee identifies 8 palliative care priorities in paediatric oncology