World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026: King George V Memorial Trust, Sukoon Nilaya Call for Wider Access in Maharashtra

On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026, the King George V Memorial Trust and Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre organized a prominent event at the Nehru Centre in Worli, Mumbai. The event, attended by several high-ranking officials, including Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, highlighted the urgent need for enhanced palliative care services for non-cancer patients in Maharashtra.

The event drew attention to the fact that an estimated 2.6 million people in the state could benefit from such care, but currently, only 20,000 have access to comprehensive services. The event featured a video message from the Governor of Maharashtra, Jishnu Dev Varma, who emphasized the importance of expanding palliative care services and encouraging more people to volunteer their time, offering companionship, emotional support, and care to those in need.

Municipal Commissioner Bhide echoed these sentiments, expressing her belief in the critical need for palliative care, particularly for patients with advanced chronic diseases like heart failure, lung disease, kidney failure, stroke, and dementia. She also called for increased collaboration between the BMC, hospitals, and the trust to establish more adult day-care centers across Mumbai's seven administrative zones.

The event also highlighted the theme of "pain management" as a crucial component of palliative care, which ties in with this year's World Hospice and Palliative Care Day theme.