పాలియేటివ్ కేర్ & మెడిసిన్

నైరూప్య

The State of Palliative End-of-Life Care in India: An Analysis

Anuj Kumar

End-of-life care is a compassionate approach that aims to provide a high standard of living for patients and their families who are facing life-limiting illnesses in medical settings. It requires a comprehensive evaluation through interdisciplinary interventions to effectively address the patient's emotional distress, social isolation, and mental turmoil. Despite this, end-of-life care is largely unrecognized in most parts of the Indian subcontinent. Countries such as the UK, America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have advanced healthcare systems that are capable of delivering a good death in the face of painful, life-threatening illnesses. The primary objective of end-of-life care is neither to shorten nor extend the patient's life, but to focus on reducing pain and enhancing the quality of life. However, 80% of terminally ill patients in India do not receive end-of-life care. The current challenges in Indian palliative end-of-life care are the effective implementation of plans and policies, the maximum availability of essential medications, and public awareness.