Announcements / Messages from IAPC
IAPC’s Infographic of the month: Geriatric Palliative Care
As part of the Infographic Series on “Integrating Palliative Care across Medical Specialities, we are excited to present the IAPC Infographic for September 2026: Geriatric Palliative Care
This initiative reflects the IAPC’s constant endeavour to promote palliative care education and awareness across the country.
Please feel free to share this infographic within your networks. The same will be available on our social media platforms and also on our website.
Please click here to access the infographics published till date.
We thank Dr. Wasim Hoda (Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia, Pain, Palliative and Critical Care, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand) for his valuable support towards this initiative.
IAPCON 2027: Exciting Updates from IAPC and IAPCON Organising Committee
Preparations for IAPCON 2027, the 34th Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care, are gaining momentum, with several exciting announcements from the organising committee. The conference will be held from 19 – 21 February 2027 at the Convention Complex, SOA University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with a pre-conference workshop on 18 February. The theme of the conference is “Humanising High-Tech Medicine – Where Algorithm Meets Empathy.”
Early Bird Registration Extended to 15 September 2026
Good news for those planning to attend! The Early Bird Registration deadline has been extended to 15 September 2026. Delegates can take advantage of the reduced early-bird rates by registering before the extended deadline.
View Registration Details on IAPCON Website.
Combo Registration for Non-Members
A Combo Registration option is available for non-IAPC members, allowing them to become IAPC Life Members and register for IAPCON 2027 at a subsidised combined rate. The offer is available for doctors, nurses and other categories, with rates varying according to the registration period.
Special Registration Rates for Volunteers and Others
IAPCON 2027 continues to encourage participation from volunteers, students, social workers and other members of the multidisciplinary palliative care community. Under the Social Worker, Volunteer, Students, Others category, the registration fee is Rs. 4,720 (including GST).
View All Registration Categories.
IAPC Conference Participation Grant: Support to Attend IAPCON 2027
To encourage wider participation in IAPCON 2027, the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) has introduced its first-ever Conference Participation Grant. A total of 20 grants, each of up to ₹25,000, are available to support eligible delegates with expenses related to attending the conference.
The initiative is aimed at supporting early-career professionals working in palliative care who may otherwise find it difficult to attend the conference. Eligible applicants are encouraged to review the criteria and apply within the stipulated deadline.
View Grant Eligibility and Application Details.
Abstract Submission Now Open
Abstract submission for Oral and poster presentations will remain open until 15 November 2026. Notification of acceptance scheduled for 15 January 2027. Abstracts should be original scientific work, written in English, and should not exceed 300 words, excluding the title and author details. The presenting author should be an IAPC member.
Abstract submission guidelines available here.
IAPC Announces Rs. 4 Lakh Prize Pool for Oral and Poster Presentations at IAPCON 2027
IAPC has announced exciting prizes for winners of Oral and Poster presentations at IAPCON 2027. IAPC’s Awards with a total prize pool of Rs. 4,00,000 for the best paper and poster presentations will be presented across four categories.
Categories are Doctors/ Doctors (Students)/Nurses/ and Others, including pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers, volunteers and allied professionals.
For both paper and poster presentations, the First Prize is Rs. 25,000, the Second Prize Rs. 15,000, and the Third Prize Rs. 10,000, along with certificates. This amounts to 24 awards across the four categories.
Plan Ahead for IAPCON 2027
With extended early-bird registration, attractive registration options, supportive grants, opportunities for volunteers and multidisciplinary professionals, and substantial awards recognising academic contributions, IAPCON 2027 promises to be an important platform for learning, sharing, collaboration and recognition in palliative care.
Mark your calendar: 18 – 21 February 2027 | Bhubaneswar, Odisha!
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day Celebration: IAPC and Alpha Palliative Care Organise International Conference, 9 – 11 October 2026
In commemoration of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD), the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), in partnership with Alpha Palliative Care, will host an International Conference from 9 to 11 October 2026 at the Alpha Hospice premises in Edamuttam, Thrissur, Kerala. Anchored by this year’s WHPCD theme, “Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care,” the three-day programme will bring together clinicians, policymakers, students, and volunteers from India and abroad.
The conference is being organised under the leadership and guidance of dignitaries including Dr. Geeta Joshi (President, IAPC), Dr. Sanghamitra Bora (Hon. Secretary, IAPC), and Shri K.M. Noordeen (Chairman, Alpha Charitable Trust), with participation from palliative care leaders, ministers representing the Government of Kerala, business leaders, philanthropists, and dignitaries from various fields.
On Day 1, the conference opens with a hospice tour and walkathon, followed by a series of thematic sessions. Day 2 features the official inauguration by Adv. V.D. Satheesan, Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala, with the afternoon’s scientific programme running in parallel across three halls, including a dedicated Malayalam-language track. Day 3 continues with scientific sessions, followed by video messages from international hospice leaders.
Click here to download the full programme.
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026: Logo released
The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) has officially launched the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) logo, now available for download from the WHPCA website. The toolkit and other campaign resources will follow shortly.
WHPCD 2026 will be observed globally on 10th October, with the theme “Pain Management: The Essential Part of Palliative Care.” Coordinated internationally by WHPCA, the day is marked every second Saturday of October, uniting hospices, palliative care organisations, and communities worldwide to advocate for compassionate, dignified care for people facing serious illness.
Each year, the palliative care fraternity renews its collective effort to ensure no one faces a life-limiting illness — or the end of life — without adequate care and dignity. Walkathons, scientific conferences, awareness campaigns, and community outreach events are held across the globe, with India’s palliative care community, including IAPC and its partner organisations, playing an active and growing role.
Plan your event and be part of this global movement — showcase it on the IAPC website!
Inaugural Northeast Palliative Care Leadership Meet & Academic Symposium, 12 September 2026
The inaugural Northeast Palliative Care Leadership Meet & Academic Symposium being organised with the support of the Indian Association of Palliative Care will be hosted by P.A. Sangma International Medical College & Hospital, under the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), on Saturday, 12 September 2026. The day-long programme brings together students, faculty, and palliative care leaders from across the eight Northeastern states to learn, collaborate, and plan the way forward for palliative care in the region.
The event will be graced by Dr. Geeta Joshi (President, IAPC), as Chief Guest, with Dr. Dinesh Chandra Goswami (President, IAPC’s Assam State Chapter), as Special Invitee.
The programme unfolds across two sessions. The morning Academic Symposium (9:00 AM–1:30 PM), themed “Palliative Care: Principles, Practice & Possibilities,” is designed for students and faculty across USTM’s health disciplines (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social work, and allied health), featuring expert talks by invited faculty from all eight Northeastern states, evidence-based and student-friendly sessions, interactive discussions, and exposure to holistic and compassionate care.
The afternoon Northeast Palliative Care Leadership Meet (2:20 PM – 4:30 PM) brings together palliative care professionals from the region for collaboration and planning, including the initiation of the Northeast Chapter of IAPC, discussion of chapter bylaws and governance, academic and capacity-building planning, strategies for sensitizing healthcare professionals, public awareness generation, and strengthening regional networking.
The initiative aims to introduce and strengthen the understanding of palliative care among future healthcare professionals, promote interdisciplinary learning, formalise the Northeast Chapter of IAPC, and build a unified Northeast Palliative Care Network.
For more information, please email to sanghamitrabk@gmail.com.
Assam Chapter of IAPC Organises 2nd Assam IAPCON 2026, 5 – 6 December 2026
The Assam Chapter of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC Assam Chapter) organises the 2nd Assam IAPCON 2026, to be held between 5 and 6 of December 2026 at Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Silchar, Assam, preceded by a Pre-Conference Workshop on 4 December 2026. This year’s conference is themed “Comfort Close to Home: Making Palliative Care Accessible to Every Neighbour.”
The Pre-Conference Workshop will cover three focused topics: The use of non-morphine opioids in cancer pain management, Palliative Care in non-cancer conditions (COPD, CKD, CHF), and the Fundamentals of palliative care for volunteers.
Conference registrations and pre- conference registrations are open now. Registration with subsidised rates is available until 30 September 2026.
Last date for abstract submission for Oral and Poster Presentations: 31 October 2026.
Click here for further details.
For queries, contact sarita.chhetri@cacharcancerhospital.org or call 8638252657 / 9101766406.
IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses 2026: Update on Step I Screening Test
The IAPC Nurses Gold Medal 2026 received an encouraging response, with 139 registrations from nurses across India for the Step I Online Screening Test. The top five rank holders from the screening examination will be invited to appear for the Step II In-Person Final examination.
The final examination will be held on 23 November 2026 at Institute of Nursing Sciences & Shri GH Patel School of Nursing, Bhaikaka University Campus, Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat. The winner of the final examination will be awarded the IAPC Gold Medal for Nurses 2026. The winner will receive:
🥇 IAPC Gold Medal
📜 Citation, and
💰 Cash Award of ₹25,000
Instituted in 2024, IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses aims to encourage excellence in nursing within palliative care, and 2026 marks the third cohort of this award.
Puducherry Budget Announces Palliative Care Programme Driven by Community Volunteers
In a landmark step for public health, the Puducherry Budget has officially announced a statewide Palliative Care Programme driven by community volunteers, aiming to deliver holistic care to individuals facing chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The palliative care community in Puducherry warmly welcomes the government’s announcement.
Over the last decade, Sanjeevan Palliative Care, an initiative of the Sri Aurobindo Society, has been working closely with the government to develop palliative care services across the region with strong community involvement. Working in tandem with the Puducherry Department of Health and Family Welfare Services under the National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC), this collaborative effort brings together medical colleges, PHC integration, and public health infrastructure with grassroots-level care delivery. Under this programme, several training sessions for community volunteers, clinicians, healthcare workers, and Anganwadi workers were successfully conducted with the support of the Institute of Palliative Medicine, Kozhikode, to strengthen community palliative care services in the region.
Tamil Nadu Notifies Guidelines for Advance Medical Directives
The Tamil Nadu government has notified guidelines for withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatment, laying down a detailed medical and legal procedure for hospitals to follow. The Health and Family Welfare Department issued the Tamil Nadu Advance Medical Directive Guidelines, 2026, through a GO dated 31 July 2026, in line with the Supreme Court’s directions on advance medical directives. Click here to download the GO.
Singing for the Stars
Highlights from the August 2026 Event
The August edition of ‘Singing for the Stars’ was held on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM IST, presented jointly by the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) and SMA Nirvana (Shankar Mahadevan Academy). An hour- long music journey was presented by Kumaran Muthuraman, Vocalist and Performing Artist, who sang popular songs in Tamil and Hindi, bringing together participants from different regions in shared enjoyment.
The session saw wonderful audience involvement, with Mr. Muthuraman taking up songs requested by participants through the session, making the evening an interactive and memorable one. His soulful voice and rendition of the songs left the audience thoroughly delighted, with many participants warmly congratulating him at the end of the show.
Institutions including Annai Adhuragam Hospice, (Kumbakonam), Mahaveer Ashray (Sri Perumbudur), Respite Care Centre TMH (Mumbai), SAIMS (Indore), and Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI-Guwahati), actively participated in the event
Team IAPC and Team SMA Nirvana extend their heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Kumaran Muthuraman and to all those who joined us for spreading smiles during the show.
Leverage the IAPC’s Social Media to stay connected!
The IAPC is inviting each of you to join the IAPC’s Social Media community to network and stay connected with the palliative care community, from India and beyond!
To get started, Follow / Like us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palliativecare.in
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iapc-1994/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iapcsecretary
New vacancies from across the country now published in the IAPC’s Careers page
We invite you to visit the IAPC’s ‘View job vacancy’ page to view the recently updated vacancies in palliative care from across the country.
Details of current vacancies are:
- Palliative Care Physician at Sparsh Hospice, Telangana
- Paediatric Palliative Care Physician at IGICH, Karnataka
- Paediatric Palliative Care Staff Nurse at IGICH, Karnataka
- Associate Professor at St. john’s Medical college hospital, Karnataka
- Medical Social Worker at Indira Gandhi institute of Child Health, Karnataka
- Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Hospice and Respite Care, Karnataka 1
- Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Hospice and Respite Care, Karnataka 2
We request you to please also join us to improve the availability and access to palliative care by either sharing the details of vacancies at your center or by sharing the details of this platform with your colleagues to submit a vacancy from centers rendering palliative care services.
Call for Support: Your 2 minutes = Someone’s entire lifetime of Peace, Comfort and Dignity!
The IAPC requests you to spare just two minutes of your valuable time to submit / update the details of your palliative care services in the IAPC’s National Palliative Care Directory.
Steps to show your support:
- Please visit the IAPC’s National Palliative Care Directory and select the State from the drop down menu to check details of your center.
- If you need to add / update details of your center, then please visit the Submit/Update details of your PC center page on the IAPC website and submit the relevant details.
- After entering the relevant details, please click the ‘Submit’ button to record your responses.
Please do remember that your two minutes will make an invaluable difference in someone’s entire lifetime, as patients and caregivers, along with your colleagues will then have access to palliative care services when they need it the most!
Come on, donate your time to be a bridge in alleviating the suffering of our patients from across the country. Let no one be left behind!
Please click here for guidance on how to update your details.
‘Saath Saath Helpline’: India’s free palliative care helpline
Saath-Saath Helpline: 1800-202-7777, is the first of its kind National, Free-of-cost Palliative care helpline. The helpline offers non-judgmental listening services to palliative patients and their caregivers, or to a patient’s physician, and connects them to the nearest palliative care center.
The helpline has 26 partner organisations working across 17 States and Union territories viz; Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Orissa, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kashmir and West Bengal. Volunteers from Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) and Cipla Palliative Care and Training Centre (CPC) attend the calls in four shifts to either provide information, offer Psycho-emotional support or to refer the caller to a partner organisation.
The helpline provides service through call-in on a phone line and works 6 days a week (Mon-Sat), 10 am to 6 pm.
You can offer your support by informing patients about this helpline and refer those who are in need of such services.