MORRISVILLE, Pa., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ — The International Conference on Pain and Chemical Dependency honors a uniquely qualified individual with the Marie E. Nyswander Award, which is given in recognition of lifetime accomplishments in advancing compassionate and humane treatment of patients suffering from pain. This year’s award will be presented to M.R. Rajagopal, MD.
Dr. M.R. Rajagopal is Professor of Pain and Palliative Medicine at SUT Academy of Medical Sciences, Trivandrum and the founder-chairman of “Pallium India,” a trust working to improve access to palliative care in India. He is one of the founders of Pain and Palliative Care Society in Calicut, India, which became a WHO demonstration project and grew to the present Institute of Palliative Medicine, with a network of over 100 palliative care centers in the state of Kerala, as well as several outside the state.
Dr. Rajagopal initiated the first university approved postgraduate diploma program in the country on pain and palliative medicine. As a result of his training programs, his state permits a large number of physicians to prescribe opioids for pain, and this has dramatically increased access to effective palliative care for patients. On a national level, he has worked tirelessly with the Pain and Policy Studies Group in Madison, Wisconsin to remove regulatory barriers to opioid prescribing, resulting in simplification of regulations in 13 of India’s 28 states.
Dr. Rajagopal is on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC), the International Association of Pain & Chemical Dependency (IAPCD), and the Asia Pacific Hospice Network (APHN). He chairs the Opioid Availability Committee of Indian Association of Palliative Care. Dr. Rajagopal is on the editorial board of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, and the Indian Journal of Palliative Care. He has authored/edited two textbooks, several book chapters and more than 30 publications in scientific journals.
Dr. Rajagopal will address conference attendees on October 30th at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia in the ICPCD’s opening plenary session. His lecture will describe the challenges faced and met by the palliative care community in India in delivering quality care and providing practical approaches to training and education.
International Association for Pain and Chemical Dependency
CONTACT: Kathleen S. Strauser, Vice President Strategic Development andMarketing of MediCom Education Group, Inc. for International Association forPain and Chemical Dependency, +1-215-428-2645, ext. 159,[email protected]
Web Site: http://www.iapcd.org/
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