An IAHPC Traveling Scholar’s Report – Turkey

I want to thank the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care for providing financial support to participate in the 12th Congress of the European Association for Palliative care in Lisbon (18-21 May 2011). I met colleagues from various countries and participated in the following workshops: ‘’Volunteers in Palliative care", ‘’Ethics at the end of life" and ‘’the art of preparing a research proposal ‘’and many other useful sessions. I also presented my poster entitled " A New Model: Approach to the End-stage of Cancer Patients (the Meaning of Existence Facing Death)’’.

This congress was useful in that it will help me to provide optimal care for my terminally ill patients. The EAPC brought together many voices to develop a vision of excellence in palliative care that meets the needs of patients and their families. However different countries use various models of organisation in order to strike a balance between palliative care as a specialist field and as a public health approach. Unfortunately, it has not advanced much in Turkey.

The fact that the world has been globalised and the geriatric population is increasing, led me to think about what we could do to create a shared and universal approach to palliative care while monitoring chronic diseases.

I am a young physician and I see myself as "a street academic " with a foundation of academic theories and practical life experiences. Now, as an anesthetist in an eye hospital I am not content here in Turkey because of the many difficulties-- everything develops slowly here. It is impossible to do it alone and therefore support and expertise from abroad could help Turkey move in the right direction sooner rather than later.

In this congress, I saw how far behind my country is in palliative care and opioid use. What do I do? The UK and the USA are probably the top centers of palliative care and hospice. I believe that earning a PhD in palliative care in one of these countries is a necessary prerequisite for my personal and professional development so that I may be more effective in moving palliative care forward in my country.

Dr. Serpil OZSEZGIN OCEK
Anesthesiology and Reanimation
Izmir-TURKEY