The Hospice and Palliative Care Division of the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre is located on the ground floor of the left wing of the Department of Pulmonology. The Department was established in 2017 to provide end-of-life palliative care for those who suffer from malignant tumors in a way unparalleled in the region. In line with the principles of the international and Hungarian Hospice Community, active, comprehensive care in the terminal stage of advanced incurable cancer, our goal is to alleviate the physical and emotional suffering and pain of patients, satisfy their needs, and ensure their dignity, peace, and tranquillity.
Palliative care is life-affirmative, regarding death as a normal process, neither hurrying nor delaying it. The key is to preserve the best quality of life possible up until the point of death.
The scope of care also extends to the patient’s family and close community, providing outstanding support to help them bear the burden of illness and grief.
Our division has a multidisciplinary team consisting of specialist physicians and nurses, a specialist psychologist, an expert in mental health, a pastor or priest, a dietician, a physical therapist, a social worker, and trained volunteers. Patient care at our division is provided on 20 hospital beds, each with its own sanitary unit. In addition, there are communal areas, a treatment room, a courtyard and a funerary room.
The admission of a cancer patient to our unit is considered in cases where the patient's condition has deteriorated or his/her symptoms have worsened and he/she can no longer receive active oncological care (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy) or for the same reason cannot be treated at home (or in a nursing home). The admission may be initiated by the patient, his/her immediate family or his/her treating doctor. There may be an exception in case of admission when home care is feasible but becomes too long to ease the burden of caretakers in the family temporarily.
Admission to the institute occurs after consultation with the head physician or head nurse. After reviewing the patient's medical history and assessing his or her distressing symptoms, the patient is put on a waiting list and admitted based on available beds at the institute. The treatment and hospice care of the patient lasts until the moment of death. In some cases, if the terminal condition turns out to last very long, after providing medication and necessary equipment, the patient may be discharged and receive expert home care.
It is important to note that treatment at the institute is publicly funded and free of charge for the patient with a valid social security number!
dr. Árpád Juhász
Chief physician of the department