Terminally ill patients in Jammu and Kashmir suffering from non-communicable diseases including cancer now won't have to travel to Delhi or Chandigarh for treatment with the state on March 12 getting its first palliative care centre. 

Established at district hospital Gandhi Nagar here under the national palliative care programme, the centre was inaugurated by Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Atul Dulloo. It has been set up under the national palliative care programme by AIIMS, New Delhi in collaboration with the Union health ministry and the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN), Singapore, he added 

"It is a major development in the health sector as the patients, who otherwise had to go to AIIMS New Delhi or PGI Chandigarh for the facility, will get the treatment here," in-charge doctor, pain and palliative care, Rohit Lahori told PTI.

He said six patients suffering from end-stage cancer were admitted in the specially set up 10-bed ward under the palliative care programme while 15 Patients were provided OPD services. Palliative care includes pain and symptom management, disease-modifying treatments, psychological, social, spiritual support and bereavement support.

The palliative care services incorporate diseases like cancer, HIV, AIDS, dementia, strokes and end stage renal diseases. "Palliative care is a national health programme which was started in 2016 across the country. Presently, we only have a full-fledged department functional in AIIMS New Delhi and PGI Chandigarh and now we have got the one here, which is the the first in the state," Lahori said.

A pain specialist, Lahori said he along with two staff nurses underwent the first round of the training at AIIMS New Delhi which would be directly monitoring and supervising the treatment of the patients in the special ward. "The second phase of the year-long training course is scheduled to start at AIIMS on April 22," he said.

"The first round of training was conducted last year and the trainers from around the globe attended the session with back up from Singapore based Asia Pacific Hospital Network, a known name in the Palliative care," he added.

Lahori said the interventional pain clinic began at Gandhi Nagar hospital on September 18, 2016 and over 425 intervention procedures for pain including cancer pains have been performed till date. Over 5600 Patients have also been provided with OPD services of pain clinic, he said.