SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 14: The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Pain and Palliative Care Medicine, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, organized a Walkathon to commemorate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day.
The event, themed “Walk of Compassion for Palliative Care,” aimed to raise awareness about the importance of palliative care in improving the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
The Walkathon, which began at Nishat and culminated at Duck Park, saw enthusiastic participation from faculty members, senior residents, postgraduate and undergraduate students.
Principal/Dean Government Medical College Srinagar, Prof. (Dr.) Iffat Hassan led the walk and commended the department for their efforts in creating awareness about palliative care as an essential part of holistic health services.
She said that Palliative medicine plays a vital role in improving the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses through early identification, assessment, and management of pain and other symptoms.
She emphasized to strengthen the continuum of care from curative to palliative stages and promote community-based outreach.
Head of Department, Prof. (Dr.) Hina Bashir Shah emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving anesthesiologists, oncologists, and palliative specialists.
“Palliative care combines clinical expertise, communication, and ethical decision-making, helping doctors manage chronic pain, cancer-related distress, and end-of-life care with empathy and precision,” she said.
Dr. Nusrat Jehan, Dr. Arshi Taj, and Dr. Mubasher Ahmad Bhat lead the core palliative care team of the Department of Anaesthesiology. They serve as Nodal Coordinators for ten district hospitals of Kashmir under an ICMR-supported project aimed at building capacity and improving palliative care delivery across the region. Their work focuses on training healthcare providers and extending compassionate care to patients even in remote areas.
The department has been working tirelessly to promote evidence-based pain management, responsible opioid use, and compassionate care. Under an ICMR-supported project, the department has been training healthcare providers and extending palliative care to patients in remote areas.
The Walkathon concluded with a renewed commitment to advancing clinical excellence, patient comfort, and compassionate care through continued education, research, and public engagement’
