With palliative care being increasingly recognised as an integral aspect of cancer treatment and other debilitating conditions, hospitals in private and public sectors are setting up exclusive palliative care unit focusing on alleviating the suffering of such patients whose number is on increase.
For instance Delhi-based Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital is constructing 30-bedded unit with sophisticated medical facility which will start functioning by 2021.
"We have already purchased the land near the super-speciality hospital at Vasundhara Enclave in East Delhi," said Commander Navneet Bali, regional director, North India, Narayana Health which had acquired Dharamshila Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi a few years ago.
Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists.
Dr S Khanna, a pediatrician and founder- Dharamshila hospital and president- Dharamshila Cancer Foundation and research centre expressed concern over rising number of cancer cases.
"Each district in the country must have a comprehensive cancer center," she said.
The DNSH which is celebrating its 25 years of existence this year has treated around 1.5 lakh patients and conducted free cancer screening for more than 80,000 people.
Based on her experience of cancer cases inflow in her hospital, she said that though cervical cancer cases have declined by 29 per cent, breast cancer cases have increased by more than 44 per cent.
So is the case with head and neck and lung cancer cases which have risen by about 22 per cent.
She further said that "to stop the epidemic of cancer we need an aggressive campaign on cancer awareness and importance of screening.
We also need to enhance availability and affordability of HPV and Hepatitis vaccines by the Government and provide free cancer screening services at more centers and promote existing screening services. "
