Hospice and palliative care, two critical forms of treatment for seriously ill patients, is virtually nonexistent in underdeveloped countries like India. The Binaytara Foundation is tackling this major problem.
In early 2018, the Binaytara Foundation established the first hospice and palliative care training center in Madhya Pradesh, India, a state of 73 million. The center will allow for the organic growth of these services throughout the region by providing free training to nurses and doctors.
Hospice and palliative care refers to treatment focused on pain relief and comfort, with hospice care for terminal patients and palliative care for seriously ill patients. With such limited access to healthcare in the state, these services are of vital importance, said Binaytara Foundation President Dr. Binay Shah.
“We believe that every human has a right to this type of care,” Dr. Shah said. “This training center will allow more and more patients to gain access to hospice and palliative care as physicians and nurses start expanding their own programs throughout the country.”
The Binaytara Foundation collaborated with the local government to establish the center in Ujjain District Hospital. The Binaytara Foundation provided monetary support and training to establish the center. In January 2018, the foundation flew Idaho nurses Connie Alexander and Valerie Loftin to Ujjain District Hospital to train a group of nine local sisters, a British term for nurses. After four weeks of training, the sisters graduated to become master instructors at the center.
The master instructors trained 50 sisters within the first month, said center Director Dr. C.M. Tripathi.
“We are thankful for the support of the Binaytara Foundation in helping establish the state’s first hospice and palliative care training center,” Dr. Tripathi said. “Without its help, this project would not have been possible.”
This project completed a major milestone for the Binaytara Foundation, which has a goal of spreading hospice and palliative care to all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh. Districts are similar to U.S. counties. With the training center established, Dr. Shah aims to complete the goal within two years.
Along with India, the Binaytara Foundation is also establishing the first home hospice and palliative care services in Nepal. It has established one program in Janakupur, a city with a population of about 200,000, with more to come.