Paliatif

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses, by preventing and relieving suffering through the management of pain and other physical, psychosocial, and spiritual issues.

The Department of Palliative Medicine in Selayang is the first specialist palliative care unit in Malaysia since its conception in 2022. The service has since developed into a 14-bedded unit with a specialized clinical team of doctors, nurses, and allied health staffs. In alignment with the vision “to provide compassionate care throughout the healthcare system” from the National Palliative Care Policy and Strategic Plan, the team in Selayang also provides visiting specialist palliative care services to the North Selangor cluster hospitals, which include Hospital Kuala Kubu Bharu, Hospital Sabak Bernam and Hospital Tanjung Karang.

The Palliative Care unit in Hospital Selayang is a major subspecialty training site and continues to be a national hub for specialized clinical care, training, education and research in Palliative Medicine.

Providing Palliative Care to all who are in need

• To achieve universal pain and symptom relief in all cancer patients
• To achieve pain and symptom relief in non-cancerous life-threatening conditions
• To create unified effort by all healthcare providers to ensure holistic and comprehensive palliative care throughout the country providing a support system for patients wherever they may be
• To promote universal understanding on end-of-life issues, maintaining the ethical principles of medicine while upholding human dignity

• Prevent and minimize suffering by early identification, impeccable assessment and prompt intervention of physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems related to incurable, progressive, life-limiting conditions.
• Ensure continuous access to essential palliative care medication and minimize burdens to the patient and family.
• Promote education in palliative care for both healthcare providers and the larger community.
• Network with other palliative care providers in hospitals and the community to provide seamless care throughout the patient's illness.
• Conduct palliative care research and ensure quality healthcare delivery.

1) Inpatient Palliative Care Service

The Department of Palliative Medicine has a 14-bedded Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in ward 4C, located at level 4 in Hospital Selayang. The PCU provides 24 hours inpatient care. Apart from this, consultative palliative care is also available to all wards throughout Hospital Selayang.

2) Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic

The outpatient palliative care clinic is run every Friday morning where patients are followed up and reviewed. Patients and accompanying carers can opt to participate in the concurrent day care service run by registered palliative care volunteers. Patients seen in clinic who require further inpatient care can be directly admitted to the PCU in ward 4C.

3) Walk-In service

During office hours, the PCU provides a unique walk-in outpatient service for patients known to the palliative care team. This service aims to improve access to care for palliative care patients requiring immediate medical attention, and avoids long waiting times at the emergency department or other outpatient settings. After office hours, during weekends and public holidays, patients will still be required to present to the emergency department for hospital care.

4) Day Care service

The Selayang PCU day care is run concurrently with the outpatient palliative care clinic, in collaboration with registered palliative care volunteers from Hospice Kasih (a non-governmental organization). Every Friday morning, the day care services will be made available to patients and their carers from the inpatient and outpatient services. Through purposeful fun-filled, interactive activities, it is hoped that patients and carers will feel more supported and better able to cope with demands of their illness. By meeting some of the psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients and carers, we hope to encourage a more positive outlook and allow patients to live life to the full within limits set by their illness.

5) Teleconsultation service

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of teleconsultation has become a widely practiced method to delivery healthcare services. The Selayang PCU provides remote consultation or interaction with patients and their families using electronic means. This is particularly useful for patients who have difficulty accessing hospital services and have no community palliative care support.

5) Palltiavie Medicine Subspecialty Training & Research Centre

Palliative Medicine was recognised as a medical subspecialty in the Ministry of Health from 2005. The PCU in Hospital Selayang is an accredited training site for the palliative medicine subspecialty training programme. Research and quality improvement activities are carried out regularly to ensure Selayang PCU practices are in line with best clinical practices in the field of Palliative Medicine. Research activity is often carried out in collaboration with other palliative care providers in the Ministry of Health hospitals, Ministry of Education, private institutions, non-governmental organisations as well as researchers from the National Institutes of Health (e.g. Clinical Research Centre).

Inpatient Palliative Care Ward 4C

Daycare Unit

 Volunteers providing hair grooming services

 Palliative Care team Hospital Selayang