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IAHPC’s PALLIATIVE CARE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Traveling Scholar’s Report to Johannesburg
& Cape Town, South Africa.
3rd to 10th March, 2007
SPONSOR: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE
RECIPIENT: MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTHY SCIENCES
IMPLIMENTING AGENCY: OCEAN ROAD CANCER INSTITUTE
IAHPC TRAVELING SCHOLAR: DR. MSEMO B. DIWANI
Background:
IAHPC has supported my travels to attend contact workshops as part of my palliative care study at University of Cape Town (UCT). IAHPC funds our faculty development program which was awarded to the University in 2004. I attended my second contact workshop in March, 2007. Also during this visit, I was able to visit the paediatric palliative care facility in Johannesburg. Paediatric palliative care at TMI/CHOMPT/BIGSHOES, as it is called, is directed by Dr. Michelle Meiring who was one of the facilitators of the paediatric palliative care workshop in Cape Town during my previous visit in October, 2006.
Visit to Paediatric Palliative Care in Johannesburg.
After I arrived I was warmly received by my host, introduced to the members of the staff and then taken to Soweto Hospice in Soweto Township. Dr. Meiring was conducting a one day seminar for community caregivers and nurses on the introduction of paediatric palliative care including pain and symptoms control in children. I found the program very interesting and applicable to our setting as it requires minimal resources yet has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of seriously ill children.
During the second day, I visited Houghton Hospice where Dr. Meirring runs inpatient and outpatient paediatric palliative care clinics. We attended a number of patients and later went to the main office where I attended a monthly meeting of social workers involved in an adoption program which is also run by Dr. Mieiring. She also provided me with a CD-ROM that contains her one week comprehensive paediatric palliative care training program.
Visit to Cape Town for Contact Workshop.
The workshop was organized by Professor Liz Gwyther who is the convener of the Palliative Medicine Program at UCT. This workshop provided me the opportunity to receive feedback about my progress in the on going course. The workshop covered important subjects such as psychosocial and spiritual issues, caring for the carers, burnout and the management of difficult pain and other problems at the end of life. It also was a useful exercise and helped me a great deal in preparing for the final exam in May.
Conclusion.
Both visits were important and relevant to my program back home. They were very cost effective since only one ticket/trip was required to attend two sessions. I am grateful to Dr. Mieiring for her wonderful support as well as Prof. Gwyther who has been supportive of our program all along. Lastly, but not least, I am grateful to IAHPC for their tireless support of our faculty development program.
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