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National University of Medical Sciences has opened admissions of “POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATION PROGRAME IN PALLIATIVE CARE” for year 2022-2023 which was developed during COVID 19 pandemic in collaboration with “SHAHEEN PALLIATIVE CARE PROJECT, a UK based foundation” for health care providers.

 This program gives participants opportunity to learn from international facilitators and prepare them to practice palliative care according to international standards and guidelines. In 2021,45 students were awarded Certificates at the end of completion of this program.

Palliative care enhances quality of life and where possible to positively influence the course of illness. It also extends support to the families of patients to help them cope with the course of illness and also their grief and loss.

Palliative medicine is now perceived as an integral part of medical care rather than ‘Elite Medicine’.in Pakistan, the concept of palliative care is novel and is subject of attention, in capacity building, policy development and practicing palliative care.

Considering immense importance of palliation, NUMS has developed this program to impart knowledge to participants in field of palliative medicine, which helps to improve quality of life of patients and their families fighting with terminal conditions.

Through this certification, health care professionals will possess knowledge and attitude to manage patients living with serious morbidities across the trajectory of life, in a variety of general practice environments including critical care, emergency medicine, geriatrics and cardiology by involving social workers, spiritual healers, psychologists and clinicians.

By opting for this certification our participants enjoy learning, sitting in their own learning environment that works best for their needs

As integral members of our team, participants are engaged to take an active role in enhancing our training program to improve the experience for themselves and for future trainees.

I assure you that by end of this program you will feel confident in practicing palliation and your patients will get benefit from your knowledge

Dr. Nafisa Tahir

Professor of Medicine

National University of Medical Sciences

Palliative Medicine is a developing medical specialty recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). It improves the quality of life for patients and their families who face life-threatening illnesses by preventing and relieving suffering. It employs identification, impeccable assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems, such as physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.

In the United Kingdom, the General Medical Council has held doctors guilty of serious professional misconduct because they had been unable to provide Palliative Medicine or refer them to specialist Palliative Medicine. The concept of Palliative Medicine is not new. In 460 BC, Hippocrates became the father of Medicine by providing simple symptom relief. In the modern world, many developed countries do not consider Cancer services provision appropriate until the services have the backup of Palliative Medicine teams. Many developing countries, including some Muslim countries, also recognize the need for Palliative Medicine.

In Pakistan, the concept of palliative care is like a newborn baby who needs a lot of attention. The Global Burden of Diseases (2010) estimates that by 2025, 3.9 million people aged 30 to 69 years in Pakistan will die from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and mental health illnesses.

Pakistan faces significant challenges in healthcare due to a low budget allocation for services in a country of over 200 million people, nearly half of whom live below or close to the poverty line. The lack of medical training courses and the drastic diversity in cultural changes highlight the urgent need for this course. To address the infancy of palliative care in hospitals, we must equip and enrich our healthcare providers with the concepts and hands-on training essential for effective palliative care.

The NUMS PG-Certificate in Palliative Care helps healthcare professionals develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to care for patients and their families facing life-limiting illnesses. This course is aimed at registered adult healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care. It will contribute to and enhance the abilities of healthcare professionals to lead and drive clinically effective care for patients with advanced diseases.

To improve the capabilities of health care providers to deliver compassionate palliative care for patients living with a life-limiting illness and their families through physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, and social support.

To work towards specialist palliative care service with guidelines based on the experience of various existing services in Pakistan and the UK, which would consist of:

• Prepare guidelines/pathways for end-of-life care for medical staff and caregivers.
• Provide education and training to local and national healthcare professionals interested in palliative care.

After the certificate program, the participants will be able to:

• Apply the Palliative Care approach techniques independently to all patients with terminal illnesses to the conduct and expectations of the profession (Skills, Professional ethics).
• Identify, formulate, and provide practical solutions to different types of pain (Critical thinking).
• Define the code status of the patient as a team (Teamwork).
• Demonstrate the competency independently to develop rapport and trust with patients’ families and peers (Skill, Communication, Teamwork).

16    ears of Education in relevant discipline with:

• MBBS/BDS (we strongly recommend interns, residents, primary health physicians, doctors involved in Oncology/ICU patient care).
• BS Nursing (nurses working in oncology, home health services, ICU, internal medicine, or any other department involved in managing palliative care patients).
• Doctor of Physiotherapy, Doctor of Pharmacy, BS/MS in Public Health, BS Social Sciences, BS Psychology, BS Behavioral Sciences, BS Anthropology and Allied Health Sciences.
• Valid registration with regulatory body, wherever applicable.

Eligibility for Award of Certificate:

• Passing marks: 50% and above in the final aggregate

• Curriculum Outline:

The basics and advanced management of palliative care will be divided into 4- courses.

1. Introduction to Palliative Care
2. Ethical issues at the end of life
3. Public health and palliative care
4. Symptom management

This program offers 12 credit hours; you can find the details in the table below:

• Overview of learning and Instruction:

This is a 26-week online certificate program with a hybrid workshop.

1. 24-week self-study model with synchronous online sessions: This program comprises prerecorded video lectures by palliative care /oncology experts and interactive online teaching sessions.
2. Online learning for 24 weeks is conducted via the NUMS digital e-learning portal, which is accessible to faculty and participants through their accounts.
3. The NUMS campus conducted a hybrid workshop on communication skills. Participants from Rawalpindi and Islamabad attended in person, while others joined via a Zoom link.

Program Director:

Dr. Omar Zafar Jhagra