Anthropol ogical Observation about Palliative Care in Public Hospital, A Case S t:udy of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad,Pakistan

Abstract

The following research is one preliminary attempt at discussing the basics of palliative care in hospitals, the social and cultural evolution in Pakistan regarding health, health facilities and the health institutions, the cultural chronicles of disease, health and dying as well as the preference of people in healing treatments (either modem or spiritual/traditional) while dealing with incurable diseases. Palliative care, in Pakistan, is a relatively recent phenomenon with a small sum of the majority knowing or opting it. With a sh·ong emphasis on familial ties, people are reluctant to give their loved ones in the hands of doctors or care givers. This research paper to identify the main causes of this wariness to modem medicine and institutions, the equal importance given to traditional healing through saints and shrines, the experiences of the people with hospitals and their respective opinions and last but not the least the religious injunctions about disease, sickness, health and dying The first chapter discusses about the fundamental presentation about the topic the second chapter, talks about the utilization of the methods and techniques used to collect the data. The third chapter describes the research site that was a government hospital in Capital city, Islamabad (PIMS), where the infonnation was collected. The forth chapter is about the previous studies conducted about palliative care, the literature review. The fifth chapter onwards deals with the findings and the data collected from respective sources and respondents and attempts to give an insight about palliative care, factors influencing palliative care and the possible solutions and outcomes concerning it. My topic was palliative care in public hospital, to distinguish and to explain the changes in care patterns and also the behavioral changes of the society towards the patients of tenninally ill diseases. This research recognized that how individual patients are treated in the govemment hospital and what sort of behaviors affects the patients' health. The study focused on all the factors and behaviors of the culture that affect the nature of the treatment. What are the reasons behind the selection of government hospitals by the people and the behavior of the paramedical staff with the patients and their attendants. Individuals give the sensible reason about the doctors, nurses and patients relationship.