Hospice Care for the Terminally Ill

The BTF president Dr. Binay Shah recalls his visit to his childhood home in Janakpur, Nepal a few years ago when a neighbor came to him pleading to help his wife who had been suffering from terminal cancer. The neighbor's wife had been sent home from the hospital two months ago after the family was told that there was no more treatment left for her. She suffered in pain, anxiety and discomfort the whole two months. It was painful for the family to see her in this situation but they were not able to help. The family sought help from local doctors but with no training in palliative care and the management of cancer patients, they weren't able to help either. 

As a board certified hematologist and oncologist, Dr. Shah immediately knew how to help the neighbor's wife. He co-ordinated with the patient's physician and provided pain relief. The next morning, the neighbor came again, his voice filled with gratitude. He said,"I slept last night for the first time in the last two months because my wife was comfortable and not crying in pain." Terminal illness doesn't just affect the patient, it affects the quality of life of whole family. This is particularly true in countries like Nepal where family members are primary care givers of the terminally ill. 

In places where people are still lacking access to basic healthcare, palliative care services don't seem to get priority in national policy or at local level. However, the need for palliative care services is even greater in these areas as  people with chronic illnesses suffer poorer outcomes due to lack of access to healthcare and as a result their quality of life during the last few months remains very poor. 

We started our outreach for hospice and palliative care in Nepal for the same reason. Our local partner physician continues to provide hospice and palliative care to the terminally ill patients in the area. But the need for this service is much greater. Therefore, the BTF is working with local government, non-profit partners, healthcare professionals, and community members to improve access to hospice and palliative care services in Nepal. 

Our next project is to start hospice and palliative care services in Ramgopalpur Municipality in Nepal. The Binaytara Foundation will support manpower and infrastructure development, and provide initial resources and support to implement evidence-based palliative care services in the area. This project will commence alongside the Binaytara Foundation’s upcoming comprehensive cancer center in Ramgopalpur.

We look forward to your continued support to our efforts to improve access to hospice and palliative care services in Nepal.