Oh Palliative care! Where art thou?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Palliative Care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

Palliative care has hardly made its presence felt in India. Very little (if any) efforts have been made to openly discuss and invite feedback on Palliative care from the citizens of the country. India has earned the dubious distinction of becoming the world’s capital of diseases such as Coronary heart disease, Diabetes, and Liver cancer. We also know that a large number of young Indians often migrate away from their native places in search of better opportunities, thereby leaving their elderly parents behind. Culturally It is also a fact that a large number of Indians are reluctant to get thorough medical checkups. It is not hard to deduce that in the coming times a large number of Indians are due to present with serious long-term and terminal diseases thus creating an acute need for proper Palliative care!

It is a complex subject, to say the least. However, even a youngster like me can see that the time for an honest dialogue on this subject has arrived. By no means am I qualified to be the definitive voice on the subject but I have put together a brief minimum action plan for developing Palliative Care in India:

• This is the right time to open a dialog with the citizens, frame laws, plug the loopholes if any.

• Fix up the regulatory & judicial framework and laws with feedback and consultations with the relevant stakeholders such as Medical professionals, hospital networks, NGO’s, lawmakers, patient groups, etc.

• Conduct regular and intense palliative care awareness campaigns at all levels – district, state, and national.

• Open government-subsidized palliative care centers across the country.

• Invite private corporate groups to set up Palliative care centers from their part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Budget.

• Pivot on emotional aspect and organize youth/school engagement with Palliative care to promote a strong community-based promotion of the concept.

Surely a lot of time will be needed to get all/some of the above done. However, one thing we can all agree on is the urgency that is needed in addressing the absence of Palliative care in India. In my opinion, a 'mission-mode' call is needed from a mass leader like our honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to ensure that we get going with the right impetus. God Speed!