The experience of palliative care in Goma, D. R Congo

I will be presenting an overview of my experiences with HEAL (Health Education Action Leadership) Africa in Goma, DRC. I worked as a volunteer at HEAL in April 2007 and I will return in October to continue to build this partnership by supporting the health care team in providing Palliative care for their community. Providing palliative care education in such a challenging environment was often heartbreaking. I learnt admiration for health care workers who do not have the privilege of medication or choice at their fingertips to ease their patient's pain, They do not have equipment, staff or the expertise that we often take for granted and yet in the midst of the day today struggles that war and poverty bring they provide the best care they can.

Some staff completed surveys on Palliative care with these comments:
 
"We have insufficient resources for Palliative care and patients suffer"

"Patients with AIDS and Hep C have enormous difficulties"

"ln my spare time I can't stop thinking, about the suffering patients, all of this stays in my mind and preoccupies me"

This presentation will highlight the cultural and environmental challenges of bringing an appropriate response to Palliative care education in a poverty, war torn country.