Unfortunately, it happens in most cases in our country when a person diagnosed with a fatal disease at a non-curable stage goes to doctors.

But the fact remains that the doctors have much to do for a patient even when his/her disease is beyond cure while the community as well as the family together can help the patient pass days in peace through terminal care called "palliative care".

Bangladesh finds it a new approach to incorporate palliative care in medical science through initiating an outpatient service centre at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) to provide patients suffering from incurable diseases with treatment and service based on needs.

Palliative care neither hastens nor postpones death; it provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms and integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of care. It offers a support system to help the patient's family cope with the patient's illness and in bereavement.

In developed countries, palliative care has been recognised and commonly used for the last 40 years to heal terminally ill patients through pain management, counselling, providing social security and spiritual support.

BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof MA Hadi approved last month the project paper and ordered for initiating the outpatient centre where patients with non-curable diseases will get physical, psychological and even spiritual support.

As prolonged hospitalisation may not be possible for these patients because of lack of beds and other facilities in the hospitals, palliative care aims at relieving the pain and other sufferings of these patients, Prof Hadi said.

The outdoor patient centre will be extended later to home care service and indoor facilities, he said, adding, "Philanthropic groups need to come forward to promote the service as we often cannot do our best for budgetary constraints."

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 10 lakh cancer patients in Bangladesh while two lakh more are diagnosed every year. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 80 per cent of these patients come to hospitals when the disease is at a far advanced stage.

Inadequate screening services, limited access to diagnostic facilities, few cancer specialists and the existing socioeconomic condition ultimately suggest that more and more patients would be requiring palliative care.

The number of patients diagnosed with other incurable progressive illnesses like AIDS, motor neuron disease, end-stage kidney, respiratory and cardiac condition that requires palliative care is also significant, experts said on the eve of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day today.

The theme of the day this year is "Access to care for all". Over 33 million of 58 million people dying each year globally need palliative care, the experts said. Two-thirds of those in need of palliative care live in the developing countries that have less than 10 per cent of the world resources for health care personnel, drugs and equipment, they added.

In many developed countries, people receive service from outpatient consultations, home services and inpatient home care services. Bangladesh has just started its journey through the outpatient consultation centre at the BSMMU and soon it will be able to extend the service, said Nezamuddin Ahmed, associate professor of anaesthesiology at BSMMU.

"It is obviously a timely and significant initiative. It is important to dignify our death, even more for those who have been suffering from incurable diseases," said Director of National Cancer Institute Prof Sharif ul Alam.

Under the upgrading project for National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, a palliative care unit with 20 beds and trained staffs will start soon, he said.