NCCS is the first institution to establish a stand alone Department of Palliative Medicine in Southeast Asia. It provides care to patients with advanced cancer by optimising pain and symptom management and psychosocial support.
How Palliative Care Helps
With special training and skills in pain control and management of other symptoms, the team may be involved at every stage of a patient’s treatment, providing care for patients who are undergoing cancer treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, up until the time when such therapies are no longer of benefit. Palliative care focuses on the management of pain and the treatment of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and breathlessness, and psychosocial support. With palliative care support, it is possible for cancer patients to enjoy a good quality of life. |
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Customising Palliative Care
Palliative Medicine physicians conduct specialist outpatient clinics at NCCS, and provide consultations for inpatients in Singapore General Hospital (SGH). The physicians also work with a multidisciplinary team of nurses, and other professionals. Care is customised according to the needs of each patient and may include advice on arrangements for a maid, special equipment such as oxygen supply, or a hospice home care service to provide the patient with medical or nursing support at home. The team can also arrange for patients to enter a suitable hospice such as Assisi, Dover Park or Bright Vision To ensure that NCCS patients receive holistic and empathetic care the department works closely with NCCS’ Department of Psychosocial Oncology.
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