KEM Hospital Starts a Clinic for Palliative Care

In order to give a boost to palliative care, civic-run KEM Hospital in Parel will soon start a clinic where patients will be provided relief from pain caused by diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and others. KEM Hospital dean Dr Avinash Supe said that doctors at KEM have been undergoing training at the neighboring Tata Memorial Hospital on palliative care for over six months now and added that the clinic will eventually offer home services. On the occasion of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (October 13), Dr Mary Ann Muckaden, who heads Tata Hospital’s palliative care department, said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) run Sion and Nair Hospitals too would start such clinics. Members of Mumbai Palliative Care Network, a group of 15 medical and non-medical groups stated that there was a need to increase the palliative care network in India. Doctor Muckaden further mentioned added that Maharashtra came up with a palliative care program in 2012 and was among the first states to do so, but little was done about it. Some doctors across the city believe that palliative care has been incorrectly associated with end-of-life care, but should ideally start at the start of the time of diagnosis. – Mumbai Live