In a joint project of European Union and Ministry of Health of Serbia, a model of palliative care of patients has been developed with the results presented to more than 300 doctors, nurses and other health experts.
Over the last three and a half years, the project also helped in opening and equipping 15 palliative care units across Serbia and introduced palliative care as a subject in medical schools, health colleges and Faculty of Political Sciences’ (department of Social Policy and Social Work) curricula.
More than 1.200 health and social care workers have also been trained for providing palliative care services as a part of the project funded by the European Union with a budget of EUR3,3 million in partnership with Ministry of Health.
The project was implemented by an international consortium headed by British consulting company Oxford Policy Management.
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
On behalf of the European Union, Yolanda San Jose of the EU Delegation to Serbia talked on the results of the development of palliative care in Serbia, whereas on behalf of the Ministry of Health this was entrusted to Prof. Predrag Sazdanović Assistant Minister in charge with European integrations in Serbia and international cooperation.
Main results of the project, the process of drafting the palliative care model in Serbia, academic and continued education and experience of working with Serbian colleagues were discussed by Prof. Julia Downing Project Leader, Dr. Erna Haraldsdottir expert in palliative care, Prof. Vesna Bosnjak Petrovic expert in academic education, Dr. Ljiljanja Stojanovic expert in public health, and Dr. Natasa Milicevic National Coordinator.
Prof. Scott Murray Chairman of the International Primary Palliative Care Research Group and Prof. Sheila Payne President of the European Association for Palliative Care spoke on European trends and global challenges of development of palliative care. Independent researcher Dr. Jo Hockley talked about the experience of everyone included in the project as well as the project’s impact on development of palliative care in Serbia.
The conference was attended by representatives of Ministry of Labour, Health and Family Committee of the National Assembly of Serbia, National Health Insurance Fund, Institute of Public Health of Serbia, regional institutes of public health, authority for coordination of palliative care services at local level, medical faculties, colleges of health studies and many others.
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
