Why palliative care

In civilised society, minimum mandatory care and pain relief is a basic human right irrespective of the social status of a person. Patients with life threatening and life limiting disease need palliative care services throughout their illness trajectories in order to keep them comfortable physically and mentally. Unfortunately, less than 1% of the patients have access to good palliative care services in most parts of India.

Modern principles of palliative care aim at improving quality of life of patients with incurable illnesses by providing pain and symptom control and offering social, emotional and spiritual support. Access and availability to Palliative care can bring in valuable treatment options for the symptoms and provide support systems for these patients and their families.

What we do

Through our cancer care programme, we are working on making quality palliative care and pain relief services available and accessible in the public healthcare system, for people living with life limiting conditions.

We are partnering with the State Governments for implementing the palliative care program. Palliative care will be an integral part of all cancer centres under the programme. Trusts has embarked on providing a concept called PEP, where Palliative care will be an important component of the outreach programme along with the prevention, and early detection.

The multi-pronged approach followed to strengthen Palliative Care includes: Policy: At policy level the team is trying to make palliative care part of state health policies, insurance coverage and, related regulations. Efforts are being made to have essential narcotic drugs as a part of the essential drug list.

Drugs Availability: Creating awareness among the officials regarding the amended Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and opioid availability workshops for officials.

Capacity Building: Conducting training of doctors and nurses in prescribing opioids. Training is also being conducted for administrators and pharmacists for maintenance and record keeping of narcotic drugs. Public advocacy and awareness generation steps have been taken.