Poor availability of oral morphine in Rajasthan pains cancer patients
India – Hindustan Times
Morphine is in short supply in Rajasthan, like many other states, due to “tedious” procurement procedures and licensing norms for the drug, oncologists say.
The year we put death above indignity
Canada – The Globe and Mail
“The end of life conversation, which for so long was conducted in apprehensive, hushed tones, finally worked its way into the mainstream media, various legislatures and all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada.”
The many hospices that fail patients just before they die
US – The Washington Post
When a hospice patient has chosen to die at home, the days immediately before death are typically the most difficult but many US hospices regularly fail to send a nurse out to patients in the two days preceding death, according to a Washington Post analysis.
Patients turn to palliative care for relief from serious illness
The Wall Street Journal
Patients with serious illnesses are increasingly taking advantage of palliative care, which offers day-to-day relief from symptoms as well as stress and lifestyle management.
Educate the public about palliative care
ONS Connect Blog
“Too often, patients and families suffer because of the lack of understanding of their options. As a nurse, I find it so difficult to watch patients and families struggle with decisions about care often simply because the word ‘palliative’ is not well understood and feared.”
IMF policies blamed for weak Ebola response
The Telegraph
Academics say demands for cuts to public spending and decentralised healthcare systems hampered ability of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to tackle spread of disease.
Ebola vaccine ‘promising in African populations’
BBC News
The first-ever trial of an Ebola vaccine in Africa shows promising initial results, according to a report in the Lancet medical journal.
New clinical placement guidelines support hospice and palliative care in Africa
ehospice USA
Global Partners in Care and the African Palliative Care Association have released new Clinical Placement Guidelines that will enhance and further assist African health systems including hospice and palliative care organisations.
Facing the festive season with a terminal diagnosis
ehospice UK
Regular ehospice writer, Helen Andrews, reflects on her mixed emotions as she faces the festive season with a terminal diagnosis.
Australia records hundreds of oxycodone-related deaths in past decade
ehospice Australia
Hundreds of oxycodone related deaths have occurred in Australia since the start of the new millennium; more than half have been accidental despite legitimate prescription holders using their medication as prescribed.
