ELCT Health

Palliative care

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering employing early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual The ELCT Palliative Care program started in 2004, involving 7 ELCT hospitals. To date, Palliative Care is scaled up in 50 ELCT health facilities, including 24 Hospitals, 26 Health Centres, and Dispensaries which makes ELCT the major provider of Palliative Care services in Tanzania. Through this network, more than 80,000 patients and their families are reached with Palliative Care services. Also, the support extends to two Roman Catholic hospitals in the Northern zone of Tanzania.

Aim of Programme

Systems strengthening for the implementation, scale-up, and sustainability of Palliative Care in the ELCT network.

Activities

Conduct home visits and day care to reach patients, especially the bedridden and those at the end-of-life stage.
Conduct onsite training and coordinate the integration of Palliative Care services in other departments within the facilities.
Build the capacity of community volunteers to be able to support the provision of Palliative care services at their localities.
Conduct advocacy involving local leaders and the community for Palliative Care support and sustainability.
Integration of palliative care services to other areas of engagement such as Early childhood development (ECD), orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) programs including the USAID Kizazi Hodari Project, and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs.

Archievements

Increased public awareness of palliative care-related diseases, prevention, and management.

Scale up palliative care services to 50 ELCT health facilities and support the operations in the communities.

Collaborated in the development of government policies, guidelines, and curriculums on palliative care.

Supported the engagement of the government and other stakeholders in advocacy work to increase access to palliative care services.

Reason for ELCT

Home and community-based care for the sick, the poor, the dying, and the most vulnerable people

(Mathew25:34-40): For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me……...

Support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children including those living with HIV/AIDS

(James 1:27, &2:14-17): Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being.

Palliative care service and support to people with HIV/AIDS and their families

(Jeremiah 30:17) But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, ' because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.