Walkathon on world hospice and palliative care day(walk of compassion for palliative care) organised by Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Pain and Palliative Care Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar

The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Pain and Palliative Care Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar organized the Walkathon on world hospice and palliative care day(walk of compassion for palliative care)from Nishat to Duck Park.

Principal Government Medical College Srinagar Prof. (Dr.) Iffat Hassan joined the walk and commended the department for creating awareness on palliative care as an essential part of holistic health services. She said that palliative medicine improves the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses through early identification, assessment, and management of pain and other symptoms.

Prof. (Dr.) Hina Bashir Shah Head of Department, appreciated the participation of faculty members, senior residents, postgraduate and undergraduate students. She said that 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.

The walk promoted evidence-based pain management, responsible opioid use, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving anesthesiologists, oncologists, and palliative specialists.

The initiative highlighted the need to strengthen the continuum of care from curative to palliative stages, promote community-based outreach, and include structured palliative care training in medical education.

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 reaffirmed its commitment to advancing clinical excellence, patient comfort, and compassionate care through continued education, research, and public engagement.