Project Hamrahi – Jamshedpur, Jharkhand November 2010

November 29 to December 4 2010

Participants
PalCare India Project

Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital
Dr Master, Medical Director
Dr Urmila Patel, Senior Medical Officer  **
Ms Sunita Ekka, Staff Nurse, Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital

Tata Main Hospital
Dr Madhusudanan, General Manager, Tata Main Hospital
Dr Koshy Varghese , Anaesthetist, Critical Care Unit **
Ms Jeseentha George, Staff Nurse, Tata Main Hospital **

(**Attended training in Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, Trivandrum, Kerala in 2009)

Australian Palliative Link International

Dr Anil Tandon, Palliative Care Physician, Perth
Wendy Scott, Clinical Nurse Consultant,  Perth

Pallium India  

Dr. M.R. Rajagopal, Chairman,
Mr Anosh Varghese, Project Officer, CanKids Kolkata

Summary

A first visit, as directed by Professor Rajagopal, to support and mentor 4 local health care providers from two neighbouring hospitals, the Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital (MTMH) and Tata Main  Hospital (TMH), who had been supported by Pallium India in 2009 to complete a 6 week palliative care training course and who had then initiated some limited formalised palliative care service provision at their individual hospitals.

It was a privilege to visit Jamshephur. Our thanks to Tata Steel for hosting this visit and to all those who showed an interest in palliative care. Dr Koshy had organised a very busy, concise, well planned and promoted program.  Hence, despite the short time available we were able to achieve all the objectives to some degree. We identified some challenges in service provision but there was obvious enthusiasm for training and for the development of local palliative care services. It was extremely encouraging to see how much has been achieved with the existing small services but the visit also highlighted the need to continue the support to enhance sustainability and future growth.