Palliative care is a way to reduce financial distress
As per WHO, Palliative care enhances the quality of life for patients and their families dealing with lifethreatening illnesses like cancers, complications of diabetes etc.
- The global need for palliative care will continue to grow as a result of the ageing of populations and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and some communicable diseases.
- It is estimated that in India 5.4 million people a year need palliative care.
Early delivery of palliative care reduces unnecessary hospital admissions and the use of health services.
The importance of palliative care
It takes into consideration not just the physical dimension of health but also actively looks at the social and economic realities of the patient and the family. Early initiation of palliative care in patients with advanced disease has shown to reduce health expenditure by up to 25%.
Challenges in Palliative Care in India:
- Low awareness about palliative care among healthcare workers and the public.
- Palliative care is not covered by most insurance schemes in India.
- Inadequate funding and lack of availability in public health centres.
- Restrictive regulations for morphine and other essential controlled palliative medicines deny access to adequate palliative care.
Government Initiatives:
- The National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC), a component of the National Health
Mission was launched in 2012. - Only three states have implemented the palliative care policy – Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
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