The Department of Health KZN (KwaZulu-Natal) held a Provincial Palliative Care Indaba with the theme “Expanding access to Palliative Care: from policy to action” at Addington Hospital on Thursday 17th May 2018.
People who attended the Indaba were from the Provincial and District DoH (Department of Health) District managers, representatives from EThekwini, Traditional Health Practitioners, KZN Chaplains, KZN hospices, Deputy Clinical and programme manager, Hast Coordinator, family physicians, NCD coordinator, pharmacist, and medical managers.
There was a very good turnout of both DoH staff and the hospices. The Programme Director for NCDs (Non-communicable diseases) Dr Jimmy Mthethwa welcomed everyone.
Mrs Zodwa Sithole of HPCA spoke around the role of HPCA, the palliative care cost benefit, the role of the palliative care provincial associations and the roles of member hospices. She also touched on how HPCA can support KZN DoH to implement the palliative care policy and the roles of hospices in policy implementation.
The MEC of KwaZulu-Natal Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo then gave a speech and supported Zodwa Sithole of HPCA, calling for the Department to start a Task Team on Palliative Care. Ms Sandhya Singh gave a presentation on the background to the new policy followed by Ms Janine Jugathpal, NDOH Affordable Medicines Directorate who spoke on the drugs needed in palliative care.
Moving forward HPCA will assist KZN DoH to set up a provincial task team regarding Palliative care.
As the national charity for hospice care, HPCA (Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa) champion and support the work of more than 107-member organisations, which provide hospice care to around 120 000 people across South Africa each year. Your support helps HPCA to ensure they deliver the highest quality of care, and any donation towards HPCA and its initiatives will make sure that their vital services in future is sustained.
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