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Jeena R. Papaadi, Advocacy Officer, Pallium, Kerala, India, shares a review of a narrative published in the recent issue of the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy that is free to access.
In an Indian village, a small boy is bitten by a snake. Following the advice of their neighbors and relatives, the parents take the child to the nearby primary health centre. The nurse on duty fails to recognize the signs and does not give the necessary first aid to the child. Instead, her intervention only makes matters worse. The parents then take him to a traditional healer who attempts herbal remedy that she claims is very effective for snake bites, but after several hours, she tells them that her treatment is not working. The child is again taken to another hospital, and then another, each place performing new experiments on the child. With each new suggestion from the people around them, they run from pillar to post in a desperate effort to save the boy. In the ensuing tragedy of errors arising from a fatal combination of neglect, bad advice, wrong choices, and ignorance, the parents lose their only child and in addition, incur a huge debt.
In this narrative titled ‘A tragedy of errors’ published in the June 2016 issue of Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, the author Latha Srikanth asks, “When there is a definite treatment for snake bite, this tragedy should not have happened. Who do we blame? Whose mistake was it? What combination of errors and wrong turns led to this tragic outcome?” Latha Srikanth is the Vice Principal of Indrani College of Nursing, Puducherry.
The Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy is an indexed journal that has made the feature ‘Narratives in Pain, Suffering and Relief’ free access. Tell your story to the world and help improve palliative care awareness.
Don't forget that IAHP members have free access to several journals as a benefit of membership. Visit the IAHPC membership page for information.
More than two thirds (68%) of people with palliative care needs have said that ‘planning for the future’ is their biggest worry – in a survey of palliative care experiences across the island of Ireland. 52% said they felt frustrated or helpless. 51% said their emotional and psychological needs were not met and 42% wanted better co-ordination of care or treatment.
The findings are contained in the Let’s Talk About Palliative Care Survey Report was launched on 6 June 2016. The survey, coordinated by the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC), asked people to talk about their positive or negative experiences of care. The survey includes the experiences of 528 palliative care service users and carers from across the island (419 in the Republic of Ireland and 109 in Northern Ireland).
AIIHPC Head of Institute Karen Charnley said: “The survey findings challenge those providing care to respond in ways which best support people and their families at this time in their lives. It also challenges wider society to talk and think more about palliative and end of life care.”
The study also showed that avoidance of talking about the issues, or information given too little or too late, increases frustration and helplessness. Conversely, clear and sensitive communication increases the feeling of being supported.
Journey with Jon Baines Tours to visit the great sites of North India and gain a real insight into palliative and end of life care in this region.The tour includes a rich cultural programme, time to explore at your leisure alongside professional visits.
The tour, led by David Oliviere, consultant in psychosocial palliative care and former director of Education and Training at St. Christopher’s Hospice, starts in Delhi, where you will visit the Shanti Avedna Sadan hospice, the Rotary Cancer Hospital and the CanSupport charity to learn of palliative care history and hospice care. Travel on to Jaipur to hear of their disease prevention campaigns. In Varanasi learn of the religious and cultural context and of spiritual care in India as well as traditional therapies. The tour ends in Kolkata where you will visit the Cancer Centre and Research Institute and learn of their innovative training and social care initiatives.
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