End of life care is a human right

By Duncan Mboyah

Patients suffering from life threatening ailments lack access to hospice and palliative care medical, experts said at the weekend.

"National laws restricting access to pain relieving drugs cause unnecessary and unacceptable pain to patients," said a medical Officer at Nairobi Hospice Hellena Musau during the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day.

Dr Musau said foreigners donate most pains relieving drugs used by the seven local hospices. She said lack of drugs is seriously compromising care.

But the situation is not unique to Kenya as 80 per cent of cancer patients around the world have no access to 14 palliative care medications that are on the World Health Organisation essential drugs list. "They include Morphine and Fentanyl, which are mainly found in private health facilities.

Even though the pain killers are costly, the Government should ensure they are available in public hospitals," says Musau.

Dr Zippora Ali, the National Co-ordinator of Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association, said access to pain relieving drugs are critical to HIV positive patients on antiretroviral treatments.

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Killer

Ali said cancer, which is the leading killer disease in the world, is on the rise hence the need for more resources for palliative care.

Musau said the Nairobi Hospice receives patients from all over the country but refers some to staff in district hospitals who have been trained by the hospice and to other hospices to cut down on costs for patients. The hospice attends to patients at Kenyatta hospital and visits others at their homes.

In addition to cost challenges, relatives of patients with life threatening ailments delay taking them for check-ups and only seek help when the disease is advanced.

"Patients who could be saved succumb to the ailments due to late referral to hospices," she said.

Besides drugs, Nairobi Hospice provides psychological, social, and spiritual support to terminally ill patients.

"We respect individuals’ wishes and help in ways appropriate to them individually and culturally. We even link them up their religious leaders,’ she said.

Local hospices rely on assistance from donors to enable them attend to terminally ill patients, some of whom live in abject poverty.

Often the hospices organise walks and music concerts to raise funds.

— AWC Feature