Palliative medicinists, also known as palliative care doctors or specialists, are physicians who specialize in palliative medicine. This is a medical subspecialty focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious or life-threatening illness to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family.
Palliative medicine specialists play a crucial role in providing holistic and comprehensive care.
Their main goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and enhance the patient’s quality of life.
This care addresses the patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Palliative care doctors are experts in managing complex symptoms often associated with serious illnesses.
This includes aggressive treatment of pain, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and other distressing physical and psychological symptoms.
They work as part of a multidisciplinary palliative care team, which often includes:
Nurses and nurse practitioners
Social workers
Chaplains or spiritual advisors
Dietitians and nutritionists
Other therapists (e.g., physical, occupational)
They also coordinate care with the patient’s primary care physician and other specialists (like oncologists or cardiologists) to ensure all treatments align with the patient’s goals.
A major part of their job involves in-depth communication with the patient and family.
They help patients understand their illness and treatment choices, facilitate advance care planning, and ensure the medical care reflects the patient’s values and wishes.
It’s a common misconception that palliative care is only for people at the end of life. Palliative care is broader and can be provided in two distinct ways:
| Feature | Palliative Care | Hospice Care |
| Timing | Can be started at any stage of a serious illness, even from the time of diagnosis. | Generally reserved for when a patient has a prognosis of six months or less to live. |
| Treatment | Can be provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments (like chemotherapy or dialysis). | Curative treatments have stopped, and the focus is solely on comfort and symptom management. |
| Location | Hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, or at home. | Hospice facilities, nursing homes, or at home (often managed by a hospice agency). |
See the list of accredited Doctors below:
| Fullname | Reg_No | Address | Qualifications | Discipline | Speciality | Sub_Speciality | status | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr DOROTHY ODIEK | A91xx | P.O BOX 11282 00400 NAIROBI | MBChB(KIU) 2010,MSc(Palliative Care)(Makerere)2025 | PALLIATIVE MEDICINE | ACTIVE | |||
| Dr IBRAHIM MOHAMMED | A64xx | P.O BOX 34084 80118 MOMBASA | MBChB(Nairobi) 2007; ,MSc(Palliat.Care)(Makerere)2024 | PALLIATIVE MEDICINE | ACTIVE | |||
| Dr ESTHER WEKESA | A89xx | P.O BOX 1163 50205 WEBUYE | MBChB(Nairobi) 2012; ,MSc(Palliative.Care)(Brookes) 2019 | PALLIATIVE MEDICINE | ACTIVE | |||
| Dr KOMU WERU | A46xx | P.O BOX 4614 00200 NAIROBI | MBChB(Nairobi) 2000,MSC(PAL.MED)(DUNDEE) 2014 | PALLIATIVE MEDICINE |
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