Community Oncology Centre and Hospice was established in 1988 under the philosophic activities of The Gujarat Cancer Society. Dr M T Bhatia, one of the pioneers of palliative care in the country took initiative of training of staff nurses in the subject. Gilly Burn and Dr Pamela Sutton trained four nurses to start Hospice services.
Presently we have 20 beds for hospice, a daily OPD services and home care services. About 450 patients are beneficiaries of hospice services every year.
We celebrated World Hospice and Palliative Care Day with our patients by involving them in various games and entertainment program. They celebrated the event by cake cutting and relishing special meal prepared for them. Many of the patients shared their experience of the hospice stay. Staff nurses performed Garba to entertain the patients.
We distributed 5000 pamphlets in community to create awareness about palliative care and hospice. Volunteers went door to door to talk to people and made them aware about the palliative care services.