Palliative Care Program    Cancer Registry    National Cancer Education Program

Pallative Care
Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms and assistance with psychological, social and spiritual problems are paramount.

The goal of palliative care is to help persons living with cancer and their families achieve the best possible quality of life that is available to them.

Our services go well beyond our intimate knowledge and understanding of the medical, physical and emotional problems associated with cancer. It embraces every aspect of life as it affects both the patients and their families.

The program is strengthened by a team approach that involves the cancer patient and their families, the Physician, the Community Health Nurse and the Cancer Society Volunteers.

The program was launched in December 1997. Thirty local volunteers were trained by a Palliative Care Nurse Specialist from CancerCare, West Dorset, England. To date one hundred persons have registered in the program islandwide. Fifty of those have since died, the others are receiving continuous care.

Rotary International has offered a scholarship to a local registered nurse to commence training in palliative care from September this year to February 2000. This nurse will be assigned to the Cancer Society and will train other nurses, physicians and volunteers etc.