On Tuesday, August 14th 2018, The Grand Hyatt Hotel Muscat will host an evening seminar on Palliative Care for Oman. The meeting will be opened by the Minister of Health, H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid al Sa’eedi, and thekey note speaker will be professor Richard Harding from the Centre for Global Health Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute, King’s College, London. Palliative care improves the quality of life for patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing the challenges associated with life-threatening illnesses. It prevents and relieves suffering, through correct assessment of pain and other problems and enables patients and families to maintain the best quality of life, whatever the diagnosis, by providing expert practical care along with emotional support.

In Oman, palliative care is still in its infancy and consequently many acutehospital beds are blocked by patients who would benefit from this specialised form of care with its many advantages. Unblocking expensive acute beds in hospitals in the sultanate would enablethem to work more efficientlyandbe more cost effective whilst at the same time improving the quality oflife for palliative care patients.

Oman Cancer Association has recently funded the training of 180 nurses for palliative care in the community which enables patients to be cared for in their own homes and more training is planned.The Oncology Department at The Royal Hospital is spearheading this community-care approach.

A Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre is being built at Sultan Qaboos University funded by Royal Court Affairs and this project will also incorporate palliative care.There are also some private sector initiatives in rehabilitation moving towards palliative care, particularly for thestroke and accident victims. Private Public Partnership (PPP) will be the likely modelfor the establishment of other palliative care facilities. In 2020, Oman will host an International World Oncology Conference at the new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre. With all these initiatives, the time is right tointroduce palliative care throughout Oman.

Palliative care is often associated with terminal cancer but there are many other chronicdiseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, etc where such care is needed.