During July 2014 a group of three paediatricians from Georgia attended an Introduction to Paediatric Palliative Care course, presented by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), experienced staff from the Emma Children’s Hospital in the Amsterdam Medical Centre (AMC) and Leiden University Medical Centre.
Organised by PAL Kinderpallietieve expertise, the four day course included theoretical background in models of paediatric palliative care, psycho-social care, clinical care and spiritual care.
The three paediatricians, Ekaterina Kutsia, Maia Uchaneishvili and Nina Katsitadze, were able to have practical experience in AMC by attending multidisciplinary meetings and doing rounds together with medical staff. The group also visited in-patient children hospices and visited patients at their own homes with the Emma Home care team.
During this period the Georgian doctors were also given the opportunity to develop a model of care which could be a way forward in rolling out and strengthening paediatric palliative care in their own country.
Their hope is to establish the first children’s hospice and provide quality palliative care and bereavement services to children and families in Georgia.
PAL Kinderpallietieve expertise, AMC and the ICPCN wish them success with their endeavours and will be there to offer support for the development of their services.
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