The Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society (PRPCS) in association with Roshni Trust has launched its second home-based palliative care ‘Life at Your Doorstep’ to serve terminally ill patients in Hyderabad.

The main aim of this new initiative is to reach out to terminally ill patients by providing palliative care and other medical services at their homes. Launched at MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre, this new programme will initially comprise of an ambulance and a team of nurses, counsellors and palliative care physicians. The team will visit the patient’s home to attend to their physical, psychological and spiritual needs.

“Patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses are always in physical pain and need a lot of emotional help. Many can’t make it to the hospital as they are often in advanced stages of their medical condition. They languish at home in unhygienic conditions. We will try to reach as many patients as possible,” said secretary, PRPCS, Dr Gayatri Palat, during the inauguration.

The Society currently spends close to Rs. 2,000 a month to take care of a patient at home. Since 2008, in association with MNJ Institute, the PRPCS is operating an ambulance, covering 870 new patients and made more than 3,000 follow-up visits. “In association with Roshni Trust, we have a second ambulance and a dedicated team. Palliative care is not just for cancer patients. We will cover all the terminally ill patients in the district,” said vice-president, PRPCS, D Priya Kumari.