Cancer Hospice - Hanwella
Statistics of Cancer Patients in Sri Lanka
Cancer is a disease that has been gaining international traction in the last decade. In Sri Lanka, there are 17000 patients newly diagnosed with cancer every year (Daily News, Sri Lanka). Many families are unable to take care of their loved ones due to financial and other constraints.
About the Hospice
The Sri Sathya Sai Suva Sevana Cancer Hospice in Hanwella, a small town 30km from Colombo, was inaugurated on the 6th of July, 2002. It is a national service project inspired by Bhagawan Himself. This facility provides accommodation, comfort and loving palliative care to terminally-ill cancer patients who cannot be taken care of in their homes. A philanthropist donated 3.5 acres of land on a rubber plantation in Hanwella. This area is blessed with beautiful greenery and serenity.
Since its inception, over 330 terminally-ill cancer patients have found love and care within the walls of the Hospice. It is registered with Private Health Services Regulatory Council, of the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka (Reg. No. PHSRC/OMI/238).
Considered to be a model for high-class quality of palliative care, the Hospice involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care and pain management, along with psychological and spiritual support. These methods of support are expressly tailored to individual patient needs and requirements. The mission of the Hospice revolves around the belief that every individual has a right to a pain-free and dignified death.
The main focus is placed on caring, not curing. Services are available to all patients, irrespective of age, religion or race. A qualified panel of doctors, including an oncologist, make regular visits to assess patients and to provide additional care or other services completely free of charge. Staff are kept on-call for 24 hours of every day of the week.
Available Facilities
The Hospice accommodates 35 patients, with separate male and female dormitories. There are also recreational facilities for the residents. A multi-faith shrine has also been built; a beautifully designed circular building where patients are encouraged to spend their time in spiritual contemplation. An elegantly landscaped garden, with flower beds and trees provide a peaceful and serene atmosphere around the grounds of the Hospice.
The management committee has 10 dedicated members and 8 doctors, rendering loving services with no charge to serve the residents and give them the self-confidence and faith to face their situation.
Supportive staff includes trained nurses and experienced attendants who rotate working shifts in order to provide 24-hour day and night care to the patients. Trained cooks are also available on site to cater to the nutritional requirements. Patients are taken to the National Cancer Institute for regular follow up appointments and treatment.
Offered Services
Various services are provided to patients who; suffer from life-limiting illnesses, can no longer benefit from curative treatment, and have a life expectancy of approximately six months or less, as determined by a physician.
The services typically include:
- Physicians to attend to the medical direction of the patient’s care
- Well trained and experienced nurses to monitor the patient’s condition, and provide appropriate care and comfort in accordance with the patient’s personal needs
- Chaplain services
- Social work and counseling
- Bereavement counseling to help patients with personal grief
- Medical equipment and supplies
- Medications for symptom control and pain relief
- Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
- Dietary counseling
- Regular follow up treatment at the National Cancer Institute
- Funeral rites for patients who have no family support
Many patients experience pain and other distressing symptoms as their illness progresses. The Hospice staff are specially trained to effectively anticipate, assess, treat, and attempt to prevent all types of physical symptoms that cause discomfort and distress. Since symptom management (mainly pain) is an important component of the Hospice, the staff work alongside the doctors to ensure that medication, therapy, and various medical procedures are designed to be available on site. This plan is frequently evaluated to make any relevant changes to accommodate new goals.