FECUPAL – Hospice San Camillo of the Camillian Religious of Colombia-Ecuador Delegation (led by Fr. Alberto Readelli and Director Lucy Maldonado), in collaboration with the School of Psychology and Education of the University de Las Américas in Quito, Ecuador, successfully organized the 3rd Palliative Care Congress, from August 13 to 17. The event was held in a hybrid mode, combining virtual and in-person sessions.

The main objectives of this congress were to update health care personnel on Palliative Care, to promote this specialty as a viable option for students from different areas of health, to contribute to the ongoing education process for staff, trainees, and collaborators of FECUPAL-Hospice San Camillo, and to support the development of Palliative Care in the country.

This important congress, considered a landmark for palliative care in Ecuador, was attended by many leading professionals in the field. These included Brother José Carlos Bermejo, Provincial Superior of Spain, and Xabier Azkoitia, Professor of the Center for Humanization of Health and head of the Spiritual Care service at the San Camillo Center in Tres Cantos (Madrid). Both participated with talks on topics such as “Unwanted Loneliness,” a challenge to promote a palliative culture in which “one does not die alone” and qualified and humanized accompaniment is guaranteed. Other topics covered included resilience and “Le 5 pulci del lutto” (The 5 Fleas of Bereavement), factors that complicate grief. It was pointed out that good care in palliative care at the end of life prevents complicated bereavement.

With the aim of deepening accompaniment in bereavement, a reel with tips for dealing with bereavement in a healthy way was also recorded. As part of the congress activities, meetings were also organized with St. Camillus Hospice volunteers and the Lay Camillian Family, promoting spaces for growth, reflection and meeting as Camillian Religious with the desire to teach how to care with passion and with more heart in our hands at the end of life.