Staff Reporter :
A discussion meeting on palliative care was held with community volunteers at T Hossain Garden in Bandar Upazila of Narayanganj District on Sunday, February 25, at 11 am.
Organized by AYAT Education, the event aimed to motivate volunteers from Bandar Upazila to participate in community-based palliative care activities as part of the ‘Compassionate Narayanganj’ project.
The meeting was conducted by Sumit Banik, Project Coordinator of AYAT Education. Present at the meeting were Md Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Field Officer of the Compassionate Narayanganj Project, Community Mobilizer Fahim Hossain, Ananna Rahman, Community Volunteer and Journalist Yusuf Ali Pradhan, BD Clean’s Puja Rani Sarkar, and SM Bijoy, all of whom delivered speeches.
Sumit Banik emphasized the critical role of volunteers, stating, “If we think of a compassionate society, volunteers are its lifeblood.
A compassionate social structure cannot be imagined without them. And if a compassionate social structure is created, we can play a role in improving the quality of life of terminally ill patients in our society. We also believe that through the involvement of volunteers, we will be able to reach more people with our services.”
Md. Hasan Hafizur Rahman highlighted the broader impact of volunteer work, saying, “Volunteers not only stay with the palliative care patients, they are also involved in various types of social service work.
Through involvement in all these activities, a positive mindset and social skills are created in them, which is helping to achieve success in his personal and professional life.”
Volunteer and journalist Yusuf Ali Pradhan shared his transformative experience, stating, “I went to visit the homes of palliative care patients under the Compassionate Narayanganj project, and my thoughts changed completely after visiting them. Just giving a little time, buying a little toy, buying a favorite food, and the pure love and contented smile I saw in return, is not worth expressing in words. I believe, through this work, you will find this kind of peace like me.”
The three-year ‘Compassionate Narayanganj’ pilot project aims to integrate palliative care into primary health care. It seeks to provide necessary treatment to patients suffering from incurable, life-limiting diseases to ensure their final period is free of suffering, pain-free, and safe. Additionally, the project aims to improve the quality of life for patients and their families by alleviating physical, mental, social, and spiritual suffering.
Following the speeches and shared experiences, the volunteers participated in an open discussion phase, presenting their opinions and questions. Among the attendees were Ashru Akhter, Assistant Field Officer of AYAT Education, Munna Saheb, Bandar Upazila Coordinator of BD Clean, and journalist Saiful Islam.