Comprehensive Palliative Care Center to Be Opened in Mashhad

A MUMS faculty member said, “Thanks to contribution of benefactors, the first hospice center in Mashhad will soon be opened to provide some of the palliative care services to patients at the final stages of disease.”

Interviewed by Webda about palliative services currently offered at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Kazem Anvari added, “Palliative care is not limited to cancer, but about 70 percent of such services are provided to cancer patients.

Mashhad University of Medical Sciences has been chosen by Ministry of Health for development of palliative care in Iran, and accordingly provides services to the patients.

According to the order of Ministry of Health, palliative services are provided in Omid Hospital by specialists in oncology, palliative care, nutrition, psychiatry, and pain relief every Tuesday to support patients referred during the week.”

Dr. Kazem Anvari, Associate Professor and Head of MUMS Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology continued, “Palliative services in Omid Hospital include training on nutrition, medications, and pain management (when intervention is required), which and has led to satisfaction of the patients. Palliative care training workshops for general practitioners were held for 4 weeks at Omid Hospital, with practical training in the wards of the hospital included. This program was implemented over the coverage areas of the university as well and general practitioners were introduced to principles of palliative care, so that the patients won’t need to go to larger cities in order to receive such services. And a training program for nurses will also be held at a national level by the university in the near future. Overall, the position and potential of palliative care in Mashhad is predated to deliver benefits to the city.”

Dr. Anvari also announced the establishment of a hospice center in Mashhad, explaining that such centers serve terminally ill patients (who will pass away in a matter of weeks).

He added, "The center is being constructed on an area of four thousand square meters and in five floors by Dr. Khatib Charity Foundation and has inpatient, day clinic and nursing care facilities. It will be a comprehensive center for palliative care, and the university will play a supervisory and training role. We are trying to upgrade one of the nursing homes of Mashhad to a hospice center with a dedicated section providing palliative care services under supervision of the university.”