Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association Conference

I am attending the 1st KEHPCA (Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association Conference) Conference in Nairobi today and tomorrow. It has been really remarkable to see how far Kenya has progressed with regard to palliative care in just two decades. Considering how often I diagnose patients with terminal cancer, this is particularly important to me. Not only does Tenwek have a very successful hospice program, other tools are readily available for clinicians. I can easily dispense liquid morphine, refer patients to our own hospice, or get the assistance of our cancer chaplain, Elijah Bii. But though there is much to rejoice in, I also have daily seen the lack of end of life care available to those in Kenya. This conference has highlighted those needs. I am grateful that our hospice and endoscopy teams have the opportunity to be a part of this conference that we might be able to encourage and support our own people who have terminal illnesses.