Kidwai Home Palliative Care in Karnataka reaches over 3,000 patients and caregivers

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day was celebrated at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

For patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, palliative care must often extend beyond the hospital ward to their homes, where families are dealing with pain, emotional stress and the demands of long-term care.

At the State Kidwai Memorial Cancer Institute (KMIO), the Department of Palliative Medicine has made home care a key part of its services, reporting more than 750 home care visits, more than 12,000 km traveled and more than 3,000 beneficiaries, including patients and caregivers.

These services were highlighted on the occasion of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 10 October, which this year was themed ‘Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care’.

“With the help of volunteers and NGOs, we also provide financial support for children’s education. We provide water bed and air bed, feeding kits and nebulizers for use at home. It is not just about treating the patient,” MK Yadhuraj Gowda, Head of Palliative Medicine at KMIO, told The Hindu.

The home care service is intended for patients who have difficulty traveling to hospital due to advanced illness, reduced mobility or other problems. Multidisciplinary teams provide medical assessment, symptom management, nursing care and support in a familiar environment, helping to reduce the burden of repeat hospital visits.

The department’s approach also recognizes that serious illness affects whole families. Caregivers may need help managing the practical demands of patient care, as well as support in managing emotional and financial pressures, said Dr. Gowda.

Beyond death

Palliative care also includes support for families after the death of a loved one. The KMIO department provides counseling to help family members cope with grief, manage emotional stress and receive support during the grieving process.

The service reflects the wider role of palliative care, which addresses not only physical pain and other symptoms, but also the psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families. Volunteer services add another layer of support to families coping with serious illness and loss.

Pain relief and childcare

Institute director R. Krishnappa said the department provides inpatient palliative care for patients who require specialized treatment for pain and other difficult symptoms, with a capacity for more than 30 patients. Its services include medication and interventional procedures such as nerve blocks and neurolysis for selected patients with severe cancer-related pain that remains inadequately controlled by conventional treatment.

It also provides pediatric palliative care with age-appropriate pain and symptom management, emotional support and counseling for families caring for children with cancer and other serious illnesses, he said.

Music and sound therapy sessions are held for inpatients on Wednesdays, while yoga classes are held on Thursdays to promote relaxation and emotional well-being alongside medical treatment.

Teleconsultations extend professional support

The department has relaunched its ‘Call for Care – Neravina Kare’ service to connect patients living outside Bengaluru and in remote locations with specialist palliative care. Through telephone and video consultations, a team consisting of a palliative care doctor, a nurse and a clinical psycho-oncologist offers counseling in the field of symptom management and emotional support. Patients and carers can contact the service on 9008441708.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 20:25 IST