Country Updates
How the Lien Collaborative Brings Comfort to India’s Most Vulnerable
“Every village healer, every nurse who joins us—they’re the true heroes,” says project lead Anika Mehta. “We’re just lighting the torch they carry forward.”
The latest developments in palliative care and our work across the region
“Every village healer, every nurse who joins us—they’re the true heroes,” says project lead Anika Mehta. “We’re just lighting the torch they carry forward.”
The Psychosocial Care Training Program took place from September 2023 to June 2024, involving 16 social workers and physicians. Its goal was to improve their capabilities in delivering compassionate care to patients with advanced illnesses.
The project initially focused on major hospitals and the national cancer center in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. The second-year plan aims to extend palliative care knowledge and services nationwide.
The workshop for palliative care training in Bhutan was facilitated by a team of three doctors and one nurse from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, a senior nurse palliative care practitioner from India and observed by the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN).
A team from the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) in collaboration with the Home Palliative Care unit at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) successfully completed a 5-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on palliative care in Thimphu from 6-10 May 2024.
At the 6th Cancer Treatment Centre (CTC) Foundation Course, participants embarked on a transformative journey guided by the luminaries of palliative care. Through engaging sessions and collaborative learning, attendees delved into the intricacies of pain management, communication skills, leadership and ethical dilemmas.
I was first involved in the APHN-Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care in Sarawak, as part of the APHN Team on a scoping visit to Kuching, in August 2022.
In 2014, we began collaborating with Sri Lanka’s National Cancer Institute and its National Cancer Control Programme to launch an in-country training programme. Since then, we have successfully completed our Train-the-Trainers programme, training over 50 institutions and more than 100 participants.
Reflections by Dr Sii Kia Miang, KK Asajaya, Malaysia & Dr Adam, Klinik Kesihatan Song Malaysia.
In 2023, APHN formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health, marking a pivotal step in delivering comprehensive Palliative Care training in Timor Leste.
Join us in taking a closer look at The Lien Collaborative’s remarkable journey in India as we unveil our latest trailer on palliative care. Witness the profound impact of our initiatives and the stories of resilience that continue to inspire change.
President Maithripala Sirisena has approved the release of LKR 10 million (USD$ 54,253) from the President’s Fund for Palliative Care Team of the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, to set up a palliative care centre.
After conducting a scoping trip in November 2022, the Lien Collaborative team returned to Timor Leste in April 2023 to initiate its inaugural training session for local healthcare professionals interested in palliative care.
“Mabuhay!” (Welcome in Filipino)
The Lien Collaborative Palliative Care Workshop for Sarawak was held from 10th to 14th April 2023 in Kuching, Sarawak.
Lao PDR is a lower middle income group country with 7.1 million population in 2019. It is located in Indochinese Peninsula and is bordered by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.
A scoping team consisting of Dr Sylvia McCarthy, Dr Naveen Salins, Ms Joan Ryan, Mr Giam Cheong Leong and Ms Trudy Giam visited Timor Leste in November 2022 in order to assess the viability of a palliative care capacity building program as part of the Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care (Lien Collab) Program.
With the success of running the CTC programmes, our partner AIIMS (Department of Onco-Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine at the Dr BRA Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Science) has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Education in Palliative Care (WHO CC IND-163).
With the success of running the CTC programmes, our partner AIIMS (Department of Onco-Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine at the Dr BRA Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Science) has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Education in Palliative Care (WHO CC IND-163).
The workshop for palliative care training in Bhutan was facilitated by a team of three doctors and one nurse from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, a senior nurse palliative care practitioner from India and observed by the Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN).
“Madam, they (hospital administration) are not providing us with adequate personal protection equipment (PPE), no N95 respirator nor surgical masks,” lamented a young colleague from a ‘red zone’ town in India, a place that is recording rising number of COVID-19 cases.
The 4th run of the Cancer Treatment Centre (CTC) project in India kicked off with the CTC4 Foundation Course at the Pride Plaza Hotel at Delhi’s Aerocity.
Letting go is difficult for most people, be it in personal life or professional. As doctors we are trained to work towards saving lives.
SMS Medical College is part of Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care CTC3 Program. They have since setup a Palliative Care service successfully and provided care to their patients.
APHN Secretariat
c/o Division of Supportive & Palliative Care National Cancer Centre Singapore
30 Hospital Boulevard
Singapore 168583
Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care (Lien Collab) draws on philanthropy, health institutions, palliative care service providers, individuals and more to strengthen leadership and capacity in bringing pain relief to all.
