Community engagement in Palliative Care: a lesson from the Lakshadweep Islands.

Abstract

A palliative care organization on the remote Lakshadweep Islands on the coast of India disrupts the Global North paradigm for palliative care by a thoughtful response to the needs of the community. In this community effort to bring those who need dialysis back to their home islands, the palliative care organization, Thanal, illustrates how palliative care can reduce health-related suffering in innovative ways and enhance the lives and health of the community that they serve. The Global South provides lessons for global palliative care, including the Global North, in its focus on community needs and social networks.