The Federal Government is set to review the National Policy and Strategic Plan for Hospice and Palliative Care 2021.
This is to ensure a fairly good quality of life for cancer patients.
According to the National Coordinator, National Cancer Control Programme, Dr Uchechukwu Nwokwu, the policy, inaugurated in 2021, was intended to institutionalize hospice and palliative care services in Nigeria.
The review is also in tandem to the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, which stated that hospice and palliative care aim to provide holistic care for individuals suffering from serious health-related issues.
Dr. Nwokwu emphasized the need for the implementation of the policy to be scaled up to meet expectations. He expressed hope that the government’s renewed agenda would address the palliative care needs of cancer patients and others requiring such services.
Palliative care is crucial for terminal illnesses, and it should be integrated into the overall care plan from diagnosis to the end of life.
Dr. Nwokwu said the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and highlighted the need for integrating palliative care at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care. He pointed the significance of training healthcare providers on providing palliative care services to meet with modern demands.
