Manipur University Medical Officer Dr Lamabam Pinky Devi joins IAPC’s new Northeast chapter to strengthen palliative care collaboration and campus wellbeing.
Imphal, Sept. 15: Dr Lamabam Pinky Devi, Medical Officer at the Manipur University Health Centre, has joined the newly established North East Regional Chapter of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) as a founding member.
The regional chapter was formally inaugurated at P.A. Sangma Medical College and Hospital in Meghalaya on September 12, bringing healthcare professionals and other stakeholders from across the eight Northeastern states onto a common platform.
The chapter has been established to strengthen collaboration, professional capacity and access to palliative care across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The inauguration followed a day-long academic programme and leadership meeting attended by healthcare professionals and representatives from all eight states.
Dr Pinky Devi’s participation is expected to provide Manipur University with greater access to knowledge, professional experience and regional healthcare networks. The experience gained through the chapter could also support the Health Centre in addressing the physical and emotional health concerns of students, research scholars, faculty members and other employees.
Students and research scholars may face academic pressure, financial difficulties, separation from families and uncertainty over their future. Faculty members and other employees can also experience stress linked to professional and personal responsibilities.
The regional network can help strengthen health awareness, early identification of difficulties and appropriate referral to qualified medical or mental-health professionals when required.
Palliative care places emphasis on dignity, compassionate communication, relief from suffering and improving quality of life. While it does not replace specialised mental-health services, its person-centred approach can contribute to a more supportive healthcare environment within the university.
A healthier and emotionally supportive campus can help students engage more effectively with their studies and enable research scholars to pursue academic work with greater confidence. It can also support faculty and staff in carrying out their professional responsibilities.
The broader objective is to strengthen a culture of compassionate healthcare and wellbeing within Manipur University through greater professional exposure and collaboration.
A key part of the regional programme was a panel discussion titled “Building a Sustainable Palliative Care Ecosystem in Northeast India: Capacity, Community, Institutions and Social Investment.”
The discussion focused on mapping existing palliative care services and the available workforce, strengthening professional competencies, developing institutional and government partnerships, expanding public awareness and community participation, and creating sustainable financing mechanisms for palliative and home-based care.
