Saturday 14th February was a landmark day for paediatric palliative care in India as the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) launched the Standards for Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) in India.
Paediatric Palliative Care is an essential component of comprehensive healthcare for children living with serious illnesses, addressing suffering in all its dimensions and supports children and their families from diagnosis, alongside disease-directed treatment, across the illness trajectory. Despite its significance there are notable deficiencies in PPC services across India. These standards aim to address these deficiencies by offering a detailed exploration of key PPC domains and presenting practical recommendations to enhance the delivery of PPC services.
This consensus document on standards for paediatric palliative care has been developed through a rigorous, inclusive and consultative process, and reflects collaboration between families, health and social care professionals, counsellors, policy experts and international collaborators. The standards are grounded in practice, have been field tested and informed by lived experience.
Ten domains of PPC were identified through consensus: symptom assessment and management; transition of care; education and training; drug availability; ethics, policy, law and governance; community based care; perinatal and neonatal care; care of the dying; and research. Each section outlines key principles and recommendations to assist healthcare professionals in delivering high-quality palliative care to children and their families.
Sehrish Unnisa, whose brother Mohammed received palliative care says in her foreword “From the moment we were introduced to palliative care to the moment of my brother passing away they made his life easier, provided him comfort and elevated his living conditions, even after his death palliative care provided use with ways to cope, adapt and even overcome our loss”. It is hoped that these standards will be a step in the direction of ensuring that all children in India who need palliative care, and their families, have access to the care that they need in the place that they need it.
You can view the standards via the ICPCN article here.
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