Transforming Paediatric Palliative Care in Bhutan and Nepal through Virtual Learning

Categories: Education.

The Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) ECHO Programme, launched by Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration and the Hyderabad Centre for Palliative Care, is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at advancing paediatric palliative care in Bhutan and Nepal. As the first combined virtual training programme of its kind, it has effectively brought together healthcare professionals from both countries to collaboratively address the pressing needs of children with life-limiting illnesses.

The ECHO programme included ten monthly sessions, each 60 minutes in duration, with the final session and closing ceremony on July 25, 2024. Key course topics include:

  • Palliative Care in ICU settings for critically ill children
  • Pain management and analgesic prescriptions in children
  • Palliative Care and Paediatric Neurology: managing seizures and other complications
  • Oncology and end of life care
  • Perinatal Palliative Care
  • Palliative Care and Neuromuscular diseases
  • Care for children with medical complexity
  • Genetic conditions in paediatric palliative care
  • Cardiac Palliative Care
  • Home management

Participants enrolled in the programme include paediatricians, other specialty physicians, paediatric nurses, and allied health professionals. The participants after attending the sessions by global experts in these topics can provide high level care and create condition specific care plans to relieve serious health related suffering in these children.

The impact of the programme is highlighted by testimonials from participants:

“For a country like Bhutan where there is no PPC expertise, these virtual Community PPC sessions have helped us, the doctors, nurses, and other professionals, learn about palliative care for various childhood conditions and have enabled us to start providing PC to our patients and families. We would like to thank the Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration for initiating such virtual sessions for us and we look forward to similar sessions in the future.” – Dr Tara Devi Laabar (PhD, Palliative Care), Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan.

“Community of Practice ECHO PPC has helped us know fellow compassionate palliative care enthusiasts from Bhutan, expand the existing PPC family, and continue learning via sharing. Listening to someone else from a different country (Bhutan) with similar limitations as us has pushed us to do better within the available resources and knowledge.” – Dr. Biplav Ghimire, Paediatrician and Paediatric Palliative Care Physician, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Nepal.

“We all had a great learning, practice-changing learning experiences from the session. It has completely transformed the way I handle critical or end-of-life patients and their families.” – Dr. Purushotam Bhandari, Paediatrician at the Central Regional Referral Hospital, Bhutan.

The Paediatric Palliative Care ECHO Programme represents a significant step forward in addressing the palliative care needs of children in Bhutan and Nepal. This programme not only enhances the quality of care for the children but also fosters a supportive community of practice among healthcare professionals by providing space and opportunity to share their experiences and discussing local scenarios. Endorsed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), UK, the programme aims to continue expanding its reach and impact in the future.

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