In India, millions endure unnecessary suffering, making it imperative to integrate palliative care into its health-care system. Palliative care plays a crucial role in providing comfort and ensuring dignity to those navigating terminal conditions. Despite its proven impact, palliative care remains critically underfunded and underutilised in India, leaving millions without the support that they desperately need.

Palliative care, which is a form of specialised care addressing a person’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs, remains a critical, yet underappreciated, component of health care. Unlike curative treatment that is aimed at eradicating disease, palliative care focuses on alleviating pain, reducing suffering, and improving quality of life — for patients and their families.