Two of our INF staff members, Manju BK and Dr Amrita Shrestha, recently participated in the 8th Singapore Palliative Care Conference (SPCC) held in Singapore from 1–2 July 2023. The conference centred around the theme of “Building Collaborative Communities.”
SPCC is a prestigious biennial event that brings together a diverse community of healthcare professionals, industrial partners, community service providers, scientists, educators, caregivers, and volunteers, offering them a valuable platform for learning and networking opportunities.
The conference was organised by the Singapore Hospice Council, an umbrella organisation representing various institutions involved in providing hospice and palliative care services.
INF’s participation in this conference provided our staff with a remarkable opportunity to engage on an international stage, enabling us to advance our palliative care initiatives more strategically and align them with international best practices.
According to Manju, Palliative Care Clinical Coordinator of Green Pastures Hospital (GPH), “The conference has played a significant role in fostering networking, knowledge sharing, and learning within international forums. Moreover, it has allowed us to showcase our work to influential individuals participating in this event.”
“We are not far off compared to what they are doing there,” says Manju. “But how they have progressed in a relatively short period is really encouraging. Personally, this experience has been beneficial as I observed a similar model with a well-established government-supported system.”
Both Manju and Dr Amrita also took part in the poster competition, where they achieved noteworthy success. Manju presented a poster titled “Palliative Care and Chronic Disease: Leading the Development of Palliative Care for Universal Health Coverage in Nepal,” and Dr Amrita presented on “Exploring Pediatric Palliative Care for Developmental Disorders in Nepal.” Manju was honoured with the title “Most Courageous,” while Dr Amrita received the title “Most Heartwarming.”
Sunita, a three year, UK Aid matched project between EMMS International and INF Nepal, aims to pioneer providing integrated palliative care services through development of a rural model of Palliative Care supported from the dedicated Palliative Care and Chronic Disease unit inside Green Pastures Hospital, with its education, research and outreach programmes, and collaboration with other like-minded organisations in Nepal.
We are immensely proud of Manju and Dr Amrita for their exceptional achievements at the conference, and their contributions will significantly contribute to the growth and development of palliative care within INF and beyond.