The Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine at Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute marked World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2025 with a focused program built around the global theme “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care.” The event brought together key institutional leaders and experts such as Dr. Gayatri Palat, Dr. T. Subramanyeshwar Rao, Dr. Kalpana Raghunath, Dr. Phanikoteshwar Rao, and Dr. Basanth Kumar.
Dr. Palat delivered the keynote address, outlining the need for community-based care models, interdisciplinary collaboration, and capacity building to improve access to palliative care across Telangana. She acknowledged the department’s ongoing efforts and emphasized the importance of sustained, system-level improvements. The program also featured a panel discussion on “Transition from Oncology to Palliative Care” moderated by Dr. Praveen Kumar and Dr. Pallavi Ghosh. Panelists included Dr. Rakesh Pinninti, Dr. Rajagopalan, Dr. Dileep, Dr. Arumugam, and Dr. Pavan Kumar. The discussion addressed early referral challenges, communication gaps, and the need for institutional and policy-level integration. A role-play session demonstrated practical approaches to sensitive communication highlighting demands faced by healthcare professionals in emotionally complex situations. The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Praveen Kumar.