Mykolayiv joined the celebration of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day for the first time
Month of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, which is celebrated every second Saturday of October, is conducted in 10 countries of the world annually. This kind of action has been conducted in Ukraine for the sixth time, in Mykolayiv – for the first time.
Eduard Horbatenko, Chairman of the Foundation Vita-Light, noted “The Foundation has been taking care of people in hospice chambers for several years. We try, where possible, to assist such patients not only once a year, to a certain date. Most of them are people from socially vulnerable populations, many of them do not have relatives; and such attention helps them to feel care of people, even though strangers. Besides, we put a lot of effort to develop palliative care in Mykolayiv region. In particular, we promote creation of hospice as a separate medical institution and palliative units at each existing medical facility (especially in remote areas) for people who suffer from diseases with limited life prognosis. These include, for instance, cancer, progressive neurological diseases, severe kidney or heart failure. Millions of people with incurable diseases suffer at the end of their life most of all; however, their sufferings could be eased if palliative care was available”.
A number of other charitable and awareness-raising events will be held in the frames of the Month of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, including: round tables, press conferences, live radio broadcasts involving lawyers, specialists in oncology, gerontology, tuberculosis and HIV infection, placing social advertising, fundraising activities to help terminally ill. The aim of these events is to draw attention to palliative care, including ensuring high quality of life of palliative patients.
At present, there are five hospice chambers in Mykolyaiv: two (10 persons) – in the regional center for AIDS prevention and treatment (for HIV/AIDS patients), three (also 10 persons) – in the regional TB clinic (for HIV-associated tuberculosis patients). In addition, two chambers were opened for the elderly in a regional hospital for war veterans in December 2009.
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The event was organized within the project “Sharing the Care” (Charitable Foundation Vita-Light with the financial support of the International Renaissance Foundation).
Contact person: Kseniya Bieliayeva +38 (0512)76-83-00, mob. +380933168655
Additional information:
The problem of care for severely ill relatives can affect anyone sooner or later. According to statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), 10-12 people (family, neighbors, friends) remain hurt as a result of a serious illness of a loved one.
In Ukraine, every year about 500 thousand patients of all ages who suffer from cancer, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other incurable diseases in the terminal (final) stage, need palliative and hospice care (relief of pain and other severe manifestations of disease, psychological, social, spiritual and legal assistance to ensure the highest attainable quality of life). If the number of palliative patients is added by 1-2 relatives who care for them, it turns out that about 1,5 million of people in Ukraine annually require palliative and hospice care, suffering from physical and psychological pain, from impotence to help a loved person.
Palliative care is an approach that aims at improving the quality of life of patients with incurable diseases and helps members of their families by preventing and alleviating the suffering of a terminally ill person (WHO definition, 2002).
The main goal of palliative care is to maintain the quality of life in the final stage, provide maximum relief of physical and psychological suffering of patients and their families, as well as preserving human dignity of a patient.
Source and photo: Charitable Foundation Vita-Light
