Director's Message March 2012
This month I had the opportunity to travel to Curitiba, Brazil for the 6th Latin American Congress for Palliative Care. The Congress takes place every two years and the theme of the 2012 Congress was built around the creation and development of national associations for palliative care. The Congress included some interesting presentations from an international panel of speakers which included AIIHPC International Collaborators Eduardo Bruera, Sheila Payne and David Praill. It also provided an opportunity to network and promote the Institute on a global level and I have now made connections with colleagues in Singapore, South Africa, India and the United States.
Some members of the AIIHPC team also attended the TASC conference “Health Service Reform – The Government’s First Year: What Progress?” in Croke Park. TASC is an independent think-tank dedicated to addressing Ireland’s high level of economic inequality and ensuring that public policy has equality at its core and the 2012 Conference was organised in conjunction with the Adelaide Hospital Society and the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice. The Conference included addresses by Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, who opened the Conference and gave an overview of the Reform Programme as well as Roisin Shorthall TD, Minister of State for Primary Care, whose presentation was entitled “Putting Primary Care on the Centre Stage”.
While we welcome the Government’s efforts to reform the health service, we would also welcome a greater recognition of the role palliative care plays within the health service. With the increase and prevalence of chronic diseases, palliative care will be relied on even more over the coming years and as a result needs to be given greater consideration in the context of any reform programme.
We would like to congratulate the Irish Cancer Society on another successful Daffodil Day which took place on Friday 23rd March. This year’s target was €3.5 million and we hope that the efforts put in by all involved have enabled them to reach this. The funds raised will go directly to providing free cancer information and nursing services.
Until next month,
Paddie Blaney