This is the assertion of paediatrician Dr Michelle Meiring, who said while the policy had been approved, there has been no budget to implement it.
“These kids are suffering in pain today. We need to do something more urgently,” she said.
Meiring is a senior lecturer in palliative medicine at the University of Cape Town, the founding director of Paedspal and chairperson of Patch-SA, a national paediatric palliative network.
“There are only a few places in South Africa offering proper pain relief, despite the fact that at least a million children are dying from – or living with – incurable conditions,” Meiring said.
“There’s nothing worse than being the doctor at the bedside of a child whose pain you can’t control.”
Pain isn’t just a horrible experience – it can have very real consequences for the patient’s health.
“Studies have shown that if you don’t treat pain, you can die sooner,” Meiring said.
“We’re feeling like no
Continue reading…
