Hyderabad: The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Damodar Raja Narasimha, has stressed the importance of expanding palliative care services across Telangana. He made these remarks while visiting the Sparsh Hospice Center for Palliative Care in Khajaguda, Hyderabad, on the occasion of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day.
During his visit, the Minister spoke with patients receiving care at the hospice and reviewed the services being provided. He praised the center for its efforts in supporting patients in the final stages of life. Additionally, he inspected various departments of the hospice to better understand their operations.
Raja Narasimha reaffirmed the Telangana government’s dedication to setting up palliative care centers in all districts of the state. He emphasized the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds in expanding these much-needed services. “The goal is to establish palliative care units in all 33 districts’ government hospitals,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted the vital role that palliative care centers play in providing emotional and physical support, especially for families who may find it difficult to care for terminally ill patients. He encouraged non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to actively participate in creating more such centers, assuring them of full government support.
In addition, Raja Narasimha announced that the government is working to include palliative care services in the Arogyasri Health Care Trust. This initiative aims to make these services more accessible to the public. He also commended the work being done by Sparsh Hospice and assured quick action to include palliative care under the Arogyasri scheme, following requests from the hospice’s representatives.
