ABOUT US
A Few Words
Palliative Care Society of Bangladesh is a charitable, non-profit and non-political organization registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare of Bangladesh. It aims to establish and develop palliative care across the country in the shortest possible time.
Palliative Care Society of Bangladesh at a Glance
- Palliative Care Society of Bangladesh (PCSB) is a registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare charity on 22nd March 2013.
- The sole mission remains to promote the newly emerging concept of Palliative Care countrywide through creating awareness, arranging education, training and developing a culturally sensitive replicable service model.
- Membership growth since inception stands at 186 Life Members (LM), 24 General Members (GM) & 108 Associate Members (AM).
- Three Annual General Meetings (AGM) were successively held in 2015 (4thJanuary), 2017(21stApril) and 2019 (25thOctober)
- Guided by its constitution, since established, and run by an executive committee supported by all its members. Few corporate members benevolently provided funding along with generous individuals and organizations for running several initiatives and projects.
Activities
- A significant breakthrough in the pathway of developing palliative care in Bangladesh occurred when palliative medicine was declared as a specialty by the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in 2015 ‒ followed by the formation of an independent Department of Palliative Medicine in 2018.
- PCSB was formed by the support and contribution of a group of activists who worked behind this achievement. A number of minor activities were necessary undertakings that contributed towards fulfilling the concept of ‘Total Care’ for providing support to affected families and the patients ‒ as an integral part of Palliative Care.
PCSB CONSTITUTION
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Few Activities
SHOPNO PROJECT
The word “Shopno” meaning “Dream”, signifying the fulfilment of unfulfilled dreams of dying patients. Launched on 4th August 2010, with a patient named Rina. All activities of this Project were adopted by PCSB after its registration in 2013. Currently, 16 students are supported by this Project whose families were unable to support their education. Most of their families became broke trying to cure their breadwinners, who were lost to cancer.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FUND
Created in 2009 for providing need-based medical support to patients. From 2011, Rotary Club of metropolitan Dhaka (RCMD) provided medicine and some essential items such as colostomy bags, urinary catheters, feeding tubes to admitted patients. This assistance was given to the insolvent patients with life limiting illnesses, registered with the Center for Palliative Care (CPC), BSMMU. Their support continued till 2017 which was later taken over by PCSB. The number of patients aided by PCSB's medical assistance fund were as follows ‒ 164 patients in 2017, 43 patients in 2018, and 28 patients in 2019.
NEED BASED PATIENT SUPPORT
This project aims to fulfill the last wishes of dying patients. PCSB needed to generate another fund to support a number of relevant activities like food provisions as wanted by patients, wheel chair, travel expenses for deceased or living patients, gifts for patient, wedding of family member, etc. Behind each expense, possibly remains a heart aching story. This was an effort to put a drop of support in an ocean of sorrow and grief.
HOME CARE SERVICE
An absolutely new concept in 2007, based on the philosophy that if a patient with life limiting illness is unable to avail health care services, this essential service must reach them. The Home Care Service was launched by AFZ foundation in 2006 which was later continued by RCMD. Registered patients of CPC residing within 20 kilometers of BSMMU were entitled to this service costfree. A research grant from the Ministry of Education (Banbeis) scaled up the service during 2015-2018. On 1st July 2019 BSMMU took over this Home Care Service and allocated yearly funds.
24/7 TELEPHONE CONSULTATION SERVICE OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
A trained Palliative Care physician carries a mobile phone 24/ 7 ‒ the number known to all registered patients of CPC. The physician attends to all phone calls, providing immediate assistance to the needs of any patient over a phone call. Patients can avail this service from their homes, residing anywhere in the country at any time. This service was supported by few individuals and institutions from the beginning as earmarked projects by PCSB as follows: 1.Touching Soul International (TSI) from 2012 - 2013 2.Mr. Mufakkarul Islam from 2014 - 2015 3.Mr.Muhammad Farid Khan from 2017 - 2018 4.Saarc Women Association from May 2018 - 2019 5.PCSB from 2019 - Present
COMPASSIONATE KORAIL (COMMUNITY PALLIATIVE CARE CENTRE
The Compassionate Korail project began under the WHPCA & Palliative Medicine Department, BSMMU in 2015. With the goal to improve the quality of life of 100 elderly people in the Korail Slum area in Dhaka. Patients registered here received food and medicine from PCSB in 2016. At the end of the pilot project in October 2016, PCSB came forward with financial support for this project. PCSB adopted this project on 1st February 2021.
PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE (PPC) OF COMPASSIONATE KORAIL
This project started in April 2017 to improve the quality of living for the children affected with life limiting illnesses in the Korail Slum area. Initially external support was provided by WCC under their Children Palliative Care Initiative of Bangladesh (CPCIB) program until 2018. Later, PCSB extended their support for this program. From 2017- 2019, 45% financial support given includes medicine, food bags and salaries for 2 Palliative Care Assistants. Currently, this program is also solely operated by PCSB.
BOOK PUBLICATION
Books published during April 2018 include; 200 copy Practical Handbook of Palliative Care; 300 copy IPC5; 500 Palliative Care Volunteer Manual