9 months ago
Study highlights need for public health integration to expand palliative care access
A recent study found that not enough people in India can easily get palliative care, which helps people with serious illnesses feel better.
Palliative care is like special support for people who are very sick, and it's not available to most people in India.
The study showed that there are only 526 palliative care centers in the whole country, and many people have to travel a long time to reach them.
Some places, like Kerala and Goa, have better access, but others, like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, have much less.
The researchers say that if palliative care is added to the regular public health system, more people, especially in rural areas, can get the help they need.
This would make healthcare fairer for everyone in India.
Integrating palliative care into the public health system can help universalize access and improve healthcare in India.
Less than 4% of the nearly 7-10 million people requiring palliative care in India have access to it.
In 2022, India had 526 palliative care centers, with a density of four per 10 million population.
Access to palliative care varies significantly across states, with rural areas having worse access than urban areas.
Integrating palliative care into all levels of the healthcare system can significantly improve access, especially in rural areas.
- Who
- Researchers from the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, and Parth Sharma from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
- What
- A study on the geographical accessibility of palliative care in India and the potential benefits of integrating it into the public health system
- Where
- India, with a focus on rural and urban areas across different states
- When
- The study was published in 2022
- Why
- To assess the current state of palliative care access and propose improvements for more equitable care nationwide
Key facts
- Total palliative care centres in India (2022)
- 526
- Palliative care density
- 4 per 10 million population
- Percentage of people with access to palliative care
- Less than 4%
- Median travel time to nearest palliative care centre
- 118 minutes
- Percentage of people within 30 minutes of a palliative care centre
- 23.6%
- Percentage of people within 60 minutes of a palliative care centre
- 39.8%
- Percentage of people within 120 minutes of a palliative care centre
- 71%
Quotes
Parth Sharma
Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
“With rising burden of chronic diseases in the country and associated suffering, there is an urgent need to improve access to palliative care from the public health system”
assamtribune.com
Researchers
Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune
“Access to palliative care in India is limited, especially in rural areas. Expanding integration with the public health system could enhance access, ensuring more equitable care nationwide”
assamtribune.com
