Full-Fledged Hospice and Palliative Care Centres Need of the Hour

Kerala Government is the only State Government in Asia that has introduced a palliative care policy in the State for the first time.

Palliative care is a holistic care which fulfills the requirements of chronically ill or terminally ill patients. It has become an emerging need of the day as the existing healthcare facilities play only a limited role in the care of the chronically ill people in the society. Patients with terminal illness in most cases spend their lives in the community among their family and neighbours, so there is the need for a multi-disciplinary team for their constant care. General practitioners working with palliative care teams stated that home care was the preferred option for most people with a terminal illness, and providing home care relies on good community-based services, a general practice workforce competent in palliative care practice, and willing to accommodate patients.

Palliative care volunteers are primary care givers who originate normally from the same locality with local knowledge and good public contact through which they can make significant contributions in a team work by bridging the gap between the patient community and the outside world.

Palliative care is a prerequisite for complete medical care. The existing healthcare facilities are more attuned to caring for acute health problems and they play only a limited role in the care of the chronically ill in the society. At least in India, the present medical and hospice systems do not have the capacity to guarantee the quality of life for the majority of people with life-limiting illnesses. Patients with terminal illness need a multidisciplinary team and constant care leading to a mounting need for palliative care.