Patients’ palliative care needs in rural health and a proposal for palliation services

Few patients and their families receive palliative care (PC), and if provided, it is usually in the end stages of the disease. In the past, these services were rendered by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but after the dedicated South African palliative care policy was released, the responsibility of PC service delivery is at the provincial level. Department of Health's National Policy Framework and Strategy on PC was a major step forward in palliation; however, the services are not yet reaching the rural areas in North West province. This article highlights the need for PC for patients and their families in rural health. A model is suggested to facilitate these services under the leadership of a family physician.