Palliative Care Awareness Month : 1- 30 April 2018

Kicked off during our Voices for Hospices Gala Dinner in October 2017, the Palliative Care Awareness Month 2018 theme is “Let Us Not Leave Anyone Suffering Behind”. This year’s theme serves as a reminder that in order for every person suffering a serious illness to receive the support they need, everybody needs to get involved.

 

How Do We Ensure No One Is Left Suffering?
By knowing your Universal Health Coverage rights. Universal Health Coverage means that all people and communities have access to the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need.

 

CARE, COUNT, COST.

CARE
Palliative care is an essential, defining part of Universal Health Coverage.

COUNT
FACT 1: 56,000 Malaysians need palliative care annually.
FACT 2: 4 out of 10 Malaysians will require palliative care at the end of their lives.

COST
No one should face destitution and poverty when they get sick. Paying for costly treatment or travel to treatment and care services as well as loss of income by the person who is ill or their carers can lead to financial risk. With proper delivery of palliative care, the financial burden driven by serious chronic and life-limiting illness can be reduced.

 

With the above measures in place, as a nation and community, we are one step closer to ensuring those in need receive the services they deserve, without exception or exclusion. To get involved in this year’s Palliative Care Awareness Month, let us start by addressing the ‘elephant in the room’ – which is about living with a serious chronic and life-limiting illness – an issue too big to ignore, and unfortunately, many feel too difficult to discuss. Hence, it remains unaddressed, despite the enormity of the topic and its implications to those involved.

 

Are These the Potential Elephants in the Room?

1. There is a growing need for palliative care as our population lives longer and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases increases… is this potentially the largest elephant in the room?
2. The lack of knowledge of palliative care perpetuates the on-going suffering of patients with treatable symptoms – do we need to first recognize this elephant
3. Breaking bad news and understanding patient-centred goals of care – is this another elephant?

Are Malaysians acknowledging the problems that are staring us in our faces? Do we recognize what the issues are so we can begin to address them?

There is a need for strong networks between professional palliative care providers, support care providers (for spiritual support and counselling), volunteers and affected families. And comprehensive cooperation between the providers of care in hospitals and in the community.

This April, Hospis Malaysia is organizing and hosting a series of events to further engage the public on the importance of palliative care. The theme “Let Us Not Leave Anyone Suffering Behind” calls on the public to recognize that the delivery of quality palliative care can only be achieved if everybody gets involved.

Find out how you can be a part of our palliative care awareness movement this April and beyond, by checking out the events below: