The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Abdul Kayode, said yesterday that 25, 000 people suffering from terminal illnesses in the state need palliative care.

Kayode said this in Ilorin when he received a delegation of experts on Pain and Palliative Health Care from Uganda.

The commissioner said the government was ready to partner the agency to establish palliative care hospitals in the state.

“This will provide succour for those patients suffering from terminal diseases. There will be supplementary budget later in the year; this will help us to commence the project,” he said.

He said government was passionate about the health of its citizens, adding that six family clinics were recently established in the state.

Earlier, the Head of the Uganda Centre, Dr Mohira Leng, said her team was in the country to collaborate in the establishment of palliative health care in the country.

She said the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH) was ahead of others in the area of palliative health care.

“There is however no standard hospital care services in the country, which prompted our visit to offer something unique to patients suffering from terminal illnesses,’’ she said.

She said the state government could set the trail for better health services for others to follow in the area of a unique medical practise.

Meanwhile, a Pharmacist at UITH, Alege AbdulHamid, described palliative care to include showing love, care, support and provision of quality life for patients suffering from terminal diseases.

According to him, such diseases include cancer, HIV/AIDS, kidney problems and heart diseases.

“Palliative care is synonymous to adding life to their remaining days,” he said. (NAN)