The Portuguese Oncology Institute (IPO) of Porto today inaugurated a space for “emotional, social and spiritual support” for advanced patients and their families, with the aim of humanizing the care provided and contributing to increasing well-being.
The moment was sponsored by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who this afternoon, after unveiling the inauguration plaque, visited the space located in the IPO’s Palliative Care Service.
Created as part of the “La Caixa” Foundation’s Humaniza programme, this structure aims, as the name suggests, to humanize care and provide comprehensive support – emotional, social, spiritual and bereavement – to people with advanced illnesses and their families, helping to increase the well-being of inpatients and their companions.
At the opening ceremony, the Head of State described the opening of this space as a moment of happiness for the country, but also for Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has a special connection with the area of palliative care as a volunteer.
Describing the partnership between the two institutions as “ideal”, the President of the Republic described the new space, located in the IPO’s Palliative Care Service, as a “breath of fresh air”, as it will make it possible to create a place of “conviviality”, “multifunctional”, stimulating the most diverse activities and, therefore, “appealing for the future”.
15:12 “What’s new about this space is that there are no spaces like this, as a rule, in IPO Porto’s units of excellence. There aren’t any. It has to be done where possible,” he said, hoping that this model could be “multiplied a few times in the rest of the country”.
The virtues of this new space were also highlighted by the president of IPO Porto, Júlio Oliveira, who, in his opening speech, outlined the goal of creating “a safe haven for those who need it in the most distressing moments of their existence”.
This partnership, which began in 2021, has “assisted around 995 new patients with advanced cancer who are being followed up in the IPO’s palliative care unit, as well as more than 980 family members, in a total of more than 5,600 interventions.
“So the IPO became the home of a unique and inspiring humanization project,” and now offers a more qualified Palliative Care Service.
Created in 1994, the Palliative Care Service, “the largest and oldest in the country”, currently has 40 inpatient beds, an outpatient clinic, an inter-hospital team and a home care service.
Over the last few years, Júlio Oliveira added, the partnership with the “la Caixa” Foundation has not only mitigated the lack of resources, but has also made it possible to open up new areas of psychosocial support for cancer patients and their families. This new space, he stresses, will allow its professionals and volunteers to fulfill their mission in a comfortable and harmonious place that is intended to be a “space for work, meeting and dialogue, reflection, empathy and compassion”.
According to the general director of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Antonio Vila Bertrán, since 2018, Humaniza – which also provides support to professionals – has accompanied more than 56,400 people – 25,294 patients and 31,196 family members – currently covering 19 hospitals.
Born out of the need to address the lack of an adequate palliative care response, the program has invested around 14 million euros since 2018, a figure that already includes the amount earmarked for 2024, revealed the trustee of the “la Caixa” Foundation and honorary president of BPI, Artur Santos Silva, during the ceremony.
In this space, the Psychosocial Support Team (EAPS), in collaboration with the health professionals of the service, will be able to provide comprehensive support to people suffering from advanced chronic illnesses, she stressed, helping to reduce stress, fostering communication and providing fun and distracting activities.
