The role of nurses in palliative care sector should be discussed and clearly defined if it has to be improved further, speakers at the inaugural State conference of the Association of Community Nurses in Palliative Care have said.
The conference, held at the Sports Council Hall here on Sunday, urged its members to be a group that seeks newer possibilities of “improving” services to society rather than being an organisation that gets bogged down in parochial politics and agitations aimed at ensuring its rights alone.
Noted palliative-care organiser and director of the Institute of Palliative Medicine K. Sureshkumar said that there was no matching model for palliative care anywhere in India as it was taking place in Kerala. After 21 years of its existence in the State, it was only natural for the dedicated nurses to think about a forum to get together and think about ways to improve their life and services, said Dr. Sureshkumar.
Great respect
Reminding its members about the responsibilities they had while forming an organisation, he said nurses providing palliative care were a section looked upon by society with great respect and regard.
Dr. Sureshkumar said their services would be all the more in demand with an increasing number of senior citizens in the State.
Palliative care organiser Jose Pulimootil said the members of this association might not be able to lead an agitation or hold a strike like others as its members would always be on the frontline of a war between life and death.
Calicut University Vice Chancellor M. Abdul Salam inaugurated the conference. State president of the association K.V. Sinimol welcomed the gathering.
Office-bearers and experts in the sector, including K.C. Rajasree, T.M. Aboobacker, Madhusoodanan, and Muhammed Saif, among others, spoke. More than 100 nurses from different parts of the State attended the conference.
