Palliative care services in Nepal Cancer Hospital

Palliative care focuses on easing symptoms like nausea, pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, sleeps disturbances and also helps to manage and control stress caused by disease itself.  It also helps to deal with the side effects of the treatment and improves the quality of life of patient. Palliative care was started in NCHRC from the beginning of NCHRC.

Objectives of Palliative Care Service

  • Achievement of best possible quality of life for the patient.
  • Provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
  • Integrate the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
  • A dignified death with minimum distress.
  • Offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death.
  • Offer a support system to help the family cope during the patient’s illness and in their own bereavement.
  • Use a team approach to address the need of the patient and their family.
  • Inpatient Palliative Care Services
  • As Inpatient palliative care services, Palliative care ward is providing palliative care services.

The ward is committed to improve comfort and quality of life through a team of professionally trained staffs.

Palliative ward is located in 4th floor of Block A. Total beds in palliative care ward are 10 including 1 terminal bed.

Terminal bed: is located in palliative care ward. It provides a space for patients and patients care providers with different religious beliefs, to be able to spend time in prayer, puja and also with the patient at their end of life.

How we provide palliative care

  • We provide best care to improve comfort and quality of life of patient through a team of professionally trained staffs.

All the care are based on the standards guidelines and policies (End of Life Care policies,)

  • Pain and palliative specialist are there to help the patient in identifying and managing the patient’s need
  • End of life care for those patients who are in terminal stage.
  • Dedicated private rooms in different category
  • Dedicated pain clinic for chronic and difficult to manage pain.
  • Invasive pain management by the trained Anesthetic’s and intervention radiologist.
  • 24 hrs Morphine supply under the prescription of qualified medical doctors for the cancer patients.
  • 24 hrs Emergency consultation on phone with qualified medical doctors.
  • Home care services by trained staff for the cancer patients

Human Resource in palliative care service:

  • Total staffs: 11 including 1 pain and palliative nurse  specialist and 1 home care nurse specialist.

Pain and palliative nurse specialists provides direct and indirect service to patient with complex palliative care needs and to their families. Pain and palliative specialists also collaborates with other team and teaches the nursing staffs in identifying and managing the patient’s current issues.

Home care specialist provides detail information about home care services including why home care is important what sort of care can be given in home care. Also coordinates with Home care center.

Outpatient palliative care services

  • Pain Palliative clinic from Sunday to Friday at 9 -5 pm
  • Intervention pain management on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 3-5 pm