Pain restrains, it binds. Pain is an impediment to enjoy the simplest pleasures of life. One fifth of Indians suffer from pain; yet its management is poorly taught in our medical colleges. The under treatment of pain is a serious issue and a looming public health crisis in India. Pain care, however, should be available, accessible and affordable to the poorest of the poor too', says Dr. Vijayanand, Consultant in Pain Medicine at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore.
A proud Coimbatorean, an alumnus of Coimbatore Medical College, who has trained and worked abroad in pain medicine for nearly a decade-and-a-half, he readily shared his experiences on pain management and about the project, that he is very much part of it, 'Traveling Pain School' a not-for-profit pain education project in India,
“Hyderabad is where I started work on returning from abroad. We were a group of friends who only knew well that pain management was poorly taught not just in medical colleges, but also across healthcare professions such as nursing and physiotherapy. We wanted to do something about it. We wanted to plug that critical defect in the system. Pain is far more complex than a simple alarm system. And, pain is one of the commonest reasons why someone would consult a doctor,” he says. There existed a pressing problem and a group of specialist doctors who were ready to provide the solution, and the two fit together like a lock and key.
The main challenges were the distances to be travelled, the mobilization of faculty and the cost involved. “In short, if we could surmount these challenges it would also mean that we have brought back the spirit of volunteerism in medical education that India has been losing steadily over the years,” Dr. Vijayanand says.
“Inspired by the Indian farmer who kept aside his best seeds for the next sowing season, we pooled our resources and we contributed 10% of our earnings towards our pain education project. It was meant to benefit our future healthcare professionals, and as a result our people. We named it the 'Traveling Pain School'. We travelled the nooks and corners of our country teaching effective management of pain. We travelled by road, rail and river. We made some great friends in our journey. And, we collaborated with national and international learned societies to teach the art and science of managing pain. It is a work in progress,” he says.
The project captured widespread attention and found widespread favour. Support poured in from all quarters, and it was an inescapable confluence of choice and chance. The team has carried on relentlessly and with purpose to create a significant, visionary, and influential pain education project. “Now, what started off as a small project in 2012 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the support of colleagues, is now the world’s largest pain education project. We have travelled and taught close to 12,000 medical students, nurses and physiotherapists across eleven states,” Dr. Vijayanand says.
“Our group, now 150 strong and spread across India, is made of specialist doctors who volunteer not just their time and effort but also their money towards the cause. It has been a very rewarding journey, but there is still much to be done. 2,00,000 healthcare professionals graduate in India every year, and we are not even close to reaching out to a majority of them. That would be possible only when the government pitches in with its support, and we are hopeful that it would,” he signed off. A life well lived is its own reward, and one filled with achievements offers another reason for cheer. One cannot help but cheer Go Traveling Pain School!!
Dr. P. Vijayanand MBBS, FCARCSI, DPainMed(RCSI), MSc(Pain), FFPMCAI, FFPMANZCA is the Convener of Traveling Pain School, Treasurer of Indian Society for Study of Pain and Co-Chairman of the Indian Academy of Pain Medicine.