KOZHIKODE: Kerala’s long standing efforts to expand palliative care have received international recognition after the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region honoured Dr K. Suresh Kumar, founder of the Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM), Kozhikode.
The recognition has once again highlighted Kerala’s community-based approach to caring for people living with serious and life limiting illnesses.
Dr Kumar has played a major role in developing palliative care services that extend beyond hospitals and place greater emphasis on community participation, symptom management and support for patients and families.
The model has been widely associated with the integration of trained healthcare professionals, volunteers and local communities in providing care closer to patients’ homes.
The WHO recognition has also renewed calls among healthcare experts for wider access to palliative services across India, particularly in areas where patients with chronic and terminal illnesses continue to face difficulties accessing specialised support.
Palliative care is designed to improve quality of life by addressing pain and other physical symptoms while also providing psychological, social and emotional support.
Healthcare professionals have increasingly stressed that such services should form part of routine healthcare rather than being limited to the final stages of illness.
Kerala’s experience demonstrates the potential of community participation in extending healthcare services to vulnerable patients. Experts believe the approach can offer useful lessons for other states seeking to strengthen home-based and long-term care.
The recognition comes at a time when India’s healthcare system is facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases and an ageing population, increasing the need for accessible long-term support.
The focus on palliative care also underlines the importance of ensuring that healthcare is not limited to treatment alone but includes dignity, comfort and support throughout the course of serious illness.