Teaching palliative care to homeopaths – an essential necessity in Brazil

Aim:

The author discusses the existing needs for teaching palliative care to homeopaths. The teaching of paliative care is still rare in Brazil, based on the Economist Intelligence Unit Quality of Death Index 2015, Brazil, as in many other developing countries, work is needed in order to advance on this aspect.

Methods:

In Brazil, homeopaths have broadened the fields of activity and have obtained more credibility among users and the regulatory institutions. Since 2006, with support from the Ministry of Health, the Policy of Integrative and Complementary Practices was established to support and strengthen initiatives for homeopathy in specialized medical practices, intensive care units, palliative care units and in hospital wards. Palliative care is a new field; however, not yet in homeopathy. James Tyler Kent (1849 – 1916), helped patients in the final stages of their life. Palliative care in homeopathy was repeatedly described in “Homoeopathic Materia Medica, Lesser Writings and Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy”.

Results:

The author treats patients as well as teaches in the School Hospital, caring for patients up to their last moments of life, minimizing their discomfort and giving emotional and spiritual support to their relatives.

Conclusions:

Palliative care given to terminal patients is very important when the chances of cure are limited. Homeopathy teachers must prepare and train their students adequately to help a dying person. Reminding that Kent gave palliative care lucently in last century.

Keywords:

Palliative care in homeopathy, dying person, teaching homeopathy.