AIIMS New Delhi commemorated World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2025 under the theme “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care.” The Department of Onco-Anesthesia and Palliative Medicine at IRCH and NCI Jhajjar highlighted the urgent global and national need for equitable, compassionate end-of-life care. Each year, over 56 million people require palliative care worldwide, yet only 14 percent receive it. In India, with 1.46 million new cancer cases and 850,000 deaths annually, fewer than 4 percent in need access such services. Despite initiatives like the National Programme for Palliative Care (2012) and NDPS Act reforms (2014), services remain concentrated in tertiary centers.
The AIIMS event combined academic depth with emotional resonance. It featured keynote addresses by Prof. Seema Mishra, Prof. Sachidanand Jee Bharati, and Prof. Nishkarsh Gupta, alongside inspiring talks such as “Power of One Thought” by Prof. Mohit Gupta and “Holding Space” by Prof. Urvashi Goja. A skit portrayed real-world patient and family struggles, while students expressed compassion through poems and slogans. The department also launched its first bulletin, reflecting growth in teaching and research. Prof. Seema Mishra summarized the spirit: “Palliative care is not about giving up—it is about giving comfort, respect, and meaning to every remaining moment.”