15 December 2018 at the Central clinical hospital svyatitelya aleksiya in Moscow has completed the work of the scientific-practical conference “Palliative care reports patriarhiei. The modern experience of the Russian Orthodox Church.” It specialists in palliative care — the priests, doctors, nurses — told about the specifics of adult and children’s palliative offices of spiritual and medical principles to assist and about the experience of cooperation of medical institutions with the Church.
With a salutatory word to participants addressed Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the hospital of St. Alexius, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church charity and social service of the Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon. On the day of the conference, he made a Liturgy in the Church of the hospital of St. Alexis.
“The last two years our hospital returns to the activity that was in it originally hospital meant for the terminally ill. Now here is a great palliative Department, unique in its kind, treating people from across the country, said Bishop Panteleimon. — As soon as the Church has the opportunity to come to medical institutions and to help those in need, of course, there came, first of all, priests, nurses, doctors who wanted to help people with serious illnesses. Today the Church has 25 years of experience in palliative care”.
An Orthodox man, as emphasized by Bishop Panteleimon, understand that all treatment is palliative treatment, not cure death. He understands the meaning of suffering and illness, and the mystery of death does not scare him. “If people don’t know God, we must with calmness, love and care to help him get through the suffering, the meaning of which he does not understand, to be there for him and do for him all that is possible,” said Bishop Panteleimon.
He also noted that the most difficult thing is to serve others, but this people called by the Lord Himself, showing the example of the last Supper. “Service to our fellow man — Christian activity that makes people better. If there comes despair, it’s not burnout, it’s temptation. These States may find waves, and if man overcomes came a wave of wins this state, while continuing to work, he better understands himself and the meaning of life”.
In 1903 the Church hospital was created for incurable patients, a little later it was opened a hospice. As such, the hospital lasted until 1918, and then was closed by the Soviet authorities. In 2016, almost a hundred years after the closure of the Church hospitals, the palliative office opened again. This was told by chief physician and Director of the Central clinical hospital of St. Alexis Alex Zaroff. “The opening of the palliative care Department was a major event in the life of the hospital. In the hospital, in addition to the palliative care unit of 65 beds, there is a multi-hospital 215 hospital beds, opened new offices, but that palliative care mission of the hospital of St. Alexius,” said the major.
The palliative care unit of the hospital designed for 65 beds, it employs 90 employees, work, nurses and volunteers. In addition, the hospital organized outreach palliative care.
On the first day of the conference, December 14, was made by Church and secular specialists in palliative care. About the principles of palliative help to children and about the spiritual concept of the disease said chief freelance children’s specialist palliative care Ministry of health of Russia Elena Polevichenko. “Palliative care today is being called the conscience of health care, and indeed, it is an ethical obligation of modern medicine. This assistance is interdisciplinary, and the doctor often it is not the most important person, — said Elena Pavlichenko. — In adults and in children as you get closer to death there are spiritual issues”.
The conference also spoke about the role of sisterhoods and of the volunteer service in palliative medicine. Head of the Resource center and palliative care services for HIV-infected of the St. Dimitry Sisterhood, Olga Yegorova, told about the participation of the sisterhoods of the Russian Orthodox Church in the work of medical institutions.
Experience of regions in organization of the help to seriously ill patients 15 Dec shared specialists from Arkhangelsk, Khanty-Mansiysk and Khabarovsk. Also at the conference were master classes on movement, positioning and care of disabled patients, and use of moving equipment during maintenance.
Central clinical hospital of St. Alexis the Metropolitan of Moscow is a multi — profile medical institution for 280 children. It is the largest medical institution of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the hospital treated people from all regions of Russia, regardless of their religious affiliation. For all patients examination and treatment are free of charge. This year, the hospital of St. Alexis the Metropolitan of Moscow celebrates 115th anniversary.