LOC16:09
13:09 GMT
Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Medicine and Medical Equipment Omar Al-Sayyed Omar inagurates the session of the Second Palliative Care Center
KUWAIT, April 13 (KUNA) -- Minister of Health Ali Al-Obaidi said Kuwait's Palliative Care Center (PCC) is the largest of its kind in the world.
"The PCC was inaugurated three years ago and has 92 beds," Al-Obaidi said in speech read out on his behalf by the Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Medicine and Medical Equipment Omar Al-Sayyed Omar Sunday at the inaugural session of the Second Palliative Care Center.
He pointed out that having the biggest palliative care center reflects the state's efforts to offer the best care for people with serious illness.
Al-Obaidi expressed hope the PCC would turn into a regional center palliative care service and education. A training center was attached by the PCC to train new local and regional cadres, he added.
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family as they are the central system for care.
For his part, Head of Kuwait's Palliative Care Association Khalid Al-Saleh said that about 300 patients need palliative care every year in Kuwait.
Al-Saleh stated that the PCC has provided care for 219 patients since its official operation in December 2010. The center's outpatient clinics have received 167 patients so far.
Over 18 foreign and local experts are contributing to the Second Palliative Care Conference.
The three-day event, entitled "Palliative Care ... Prospective View," is organized by Kuwait's Palliative Care Center under the sponsorship of the Health Ministry.
Head of the Palliative Team Dr. Khalid Al-Saleh told KUNA that the purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for update information on a broad range of topics covering palliative medicine, its therapies, current guidelines and clinical research, as well as fundamental background studies.
The conference will be attended by physicians, pharmacists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, dietitian, physiotherapist, other health care professionals and interested parties from Kuwait, World Health Organization and The Arab Group for Palliative Care.
It will enable the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the different disciplines to facilitate research and clinical interdisciplinary collaborations on palliative management. (end)
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