35 clinicians from across India participate in the CTC 6 Refresher program

The 2.5 day ‘Refresher Course’ of the 6th cohort of the Palliative Care Training Program aimed at Cancer Treatment Centers (CTC) in India, was attended by 35 clinicians (17 Doctors and 18 Nurses) from 11 centers across the country between Friday, 20th September, 2024, and Sunday, 22nd September, 2024, at the Pride Plaza Hotel, Aerocity, New Delhi.

The in-person training program is being offered jointly by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) and the Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care.

This program aims to also facilitate the implementation of India’s National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) which mandates the availability of palliative care services in all institutions dealing with cancer and non-communicable diseases.

This training component is the third phase of the structured training provided for participants from the current cohort. In February 2024, participants were introduced to a Learning Management System (LMS) to access pre-recorded lectures on the basic concepts and principles of palliative care. Participants were then invited to participate in a 2.5 day in-person Foundation course at New Delhi in March 2024, followed by a 5-day in-person clinical posting at either AIIMS, New Delhi, or at the Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka, between June and August 2024.

The power packed 2.5 day Refresher Course was led by a team of 12 expert Faculty from across India, and included lectures, case based discussions, role plays and an interactive workshop. An informative and interesting quiz was also included to facilitate interactive learning. Course participants also presented the progress they have made at their respective centers (eg.setting up PC units / departments, working towards a State Palliative Care Policy etc.) till date along with presenting lectures on key topics in palliative care.