Dr Domnular Jayarangaraiah, Dr Barry Aussie and Fiona Dennie-Pierre have returned to St Vincent and the Grenadines from a two-day workshop in Bridgetown Barbados, with information that can assist in improving the availability and rational use of medications to relieve patients’ pain and symptoms.

The workshop, which featured experts on policy, palliative care and human rights from the US and the UK and the Caribbean, was sponsored by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative care and the Barbados Association of Palliative Care. Attending were competent authorities, pain and palliative care physicians from 11 Caribbean countries.

The country groups identified unduly restrictive barriers and developed action plans to aid in assisting the governments and health services to deliver affordable, accessible, palliative care to all citizens of the CARICOM region.