Understanding the concept and challenges of palliative care medicine: a review of a centre in a tertiary hospital in South- East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Palliative care aims to provide and maintain the highest possible quality of life and not necessarily to cure, as long as life remains. This aspect of clinical medicine has been largely under-emphasized in Nigeria. Much emphasis has not been placed on palliative care in the health care curricula. Hence, health care givers focus more on cure, and many lack the knowledge of palliative care. Aim: This article aimed at briefly explaining the principles of palliative medicine and the challenges faced since its establishment at Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. Methods: Literature review was conducted using HINARI and Google search engines. Publications on palliative care were identified using relevant keywords. Challenges encountered rendering palliative care in a tertiary hospital were enumerated and discussed. Results: There is knowledge and attitude gap with urgent need for manpower development in palliative care in our environment. Financial constraints, need for home visits and hospice were other challenges encountered. Conclusion: Palliative care medicine is an emerging area of medicine in Abia state and Nigeria. Thus, it is important that health care givers are aware and apply the principles of palliative care in practice.

Key words: Palliative care, pain control, hospice, spirituality, cancer, end-stage organ disease