The Department of Hospice and Palliative Care, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, in collaboration with the hospital, has organised a bazaar to commemorate the 2026 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, calling for improved pain management and dignified patient care.
Speaking at the bazaar’s opening, UCH Chief Medical Director Professor Jesse Otegbayo said it was unacceptable for patients to endure avoidable pain when effective interventions were available.
He stressed that palliative care must address not only physical pain but also patients’ social and spiritual distress.
Otegbayo, who was represented at the event by the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Bukola Adesina, said every healthcare worker had a role to play in ensuring compassionate, person-centred care.
He commended the department’s efforts to strengthen professional knowledge through training and hospital-wide discussions on pain management.
Otegbayo also paid tribute to the late Professor Simbo Amanor-Boadu, whom he described as instrumental in establishing palliative care at UCH. He urged healthcare workers to sustain her legacy of compassion and commitment to relieving patients’ suffering.
The Head of the Department of Hospice and Palliative Care at UCH, Dr Yetunde Oloyede, urged the Federal Government to implement existing palliative care policies and integrate essential services into the National Health Insurance Scheme to ease the financial burden on patients with serious illnesses.
Oloyede said many patients, particularly those with cancer, were financially drained by the cost of treatment and sometimes struggled to afford even basic pain-relief medication.
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She described pain relief as a fundamental right of patients and called for improved access to chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and other essential services.
She also emphasised that palliative care should address patients’ physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs to improve their quality of life.
Oloyede urged the government and other stakeholders to strengthen support systems to ensure that vulnerable patients could access affordable, compassionate and dignified care.
The bazaar, tagged the Professor Simbo Daisy Amanor-Boadu Jumble Sale, also honoured the late professor, who initiated the fundraising activity.
An ophthalmologist at UCH, Ibadan, Dr Modupe Ijaduola, described Amano-Bwadu as a mentor, teacher and pillar of support whose passion for palliative care influenced both her professional and family life.
Ijaduola, a member of the late professor’s extended family, recalled that Amano-Bwadu consistently encouraged younger family members to pursue excellence in their careers while maintaining a healthy balance between work, family relationships and personal development.
She said palliative care was particularly dear to Amanor-Boadu, who actively promoted the speciality and ensured that members of her family understood its importance.
Expressing delight that the department was sustaining the work to which the late professor was devoted, Ijaduola said the commemoration provided an opportunity to celebrate her contributions and preserve her legacy.
“Palliative care meant so much to her; it was very dear to her heart. She pushed for it,” she said.
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