Fatshimetrie, September 23, 2024 (FAT).- A major initiative was launched this Monday at the University of Kinshasa, marking a major step forward in the field of health care in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Indeed, health professionals, doctors and nurses, participated in a pre-forum dedicated to palliative care, thus highlighting the crucial importance of this specialty in the Congolese medical sector.
At the origin of this training, Dr. Françoise Cerexhe, accompanied by Professor Doctor Mashinda, highlighted a significant gap in the training of medical and paramedical staff with regard to palliative care. The urgency of the situation therefore motivated the creation of an association dedicated to the continuing education of healthcare staff, thus highlighting the urgent need to fill this gap.
During this training, participants had access to in-depth modules on palliative care, highlighting major problems of suffering such as euthanasia and chemotherapy. Particular emphasis was placed on the autonomy of people at the end of their lives, who unfortunately encounter difficulties in accessing appropriate treatments. Morphine, an essential element for palliative cancer treatments, is nevertheless difficult to access throughout the country, contributing to inadequate pain management in patients.
This training, supported by the Congolese National Palliative Care Association, prefigures the launch of a first national palliative care symposium in the DRC. Under the theme “Together, let’s deploy palliative care in the DRC”, this event, scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, 2024, promises to open up new perspectives in the overall care of patients at the end of their lives across the country.
This pioneering approach is part of a desire to continuously improve medical practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting the crucial importance of palliative care in the patient care pathway. Let us hope that these initiatives will multiply and contribute to a significant improvement in the quality of life of people at the end of their life.