Patients are in urgent need of moral and psychological support. This was the main theme of the first international evidence-based palliative care awareness symposium which opened at the InterContinental Hotel here on Monday. The three-day forum has been organized under the patronage of Dr. Bandar Al-Qanawi, the Executive General Manager for Health Affairs at the National Guard, and Director of King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz University for Scientific Health. A number of international and local experts and consultants attended the forum, which aimed to highlight the importance of alleviating the suffering of patients and ensuring that they are treated humanely and with dignity during all the stages of their disease. Dr. Amani Babaqi, a coordinator for palliative care, said that the forum also aimed to increase the awareness of medical students, nurses, patients and their families of the importance of emphasizing the quality of life in medical care. “It is important that this forum encourages national cadres to concentrate on scientific research in decreasing the suffering of patients in the Kingdom,” said Dr. Babaqi. She added that there are many nurses from Southeast Asia in the hospital who have experience in dealing with patients, but who still need to learn about palliative care by taking part in training courses. She also noted that there are plans under way to make palliative care an essential part of the health service program. According to Dr. Mohammad Al-Shehri, a palliative care consultant at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, palliative care is a comprehensive care system that includes physical, psychological, spiritual and social care for those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, as well as respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
