Announcements / Messages from IAPC

IAPC’s Infographic of the month

The March Infographic focuses on the concept of ‘Distress in 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 same.

We thank Dr Wasimul Hoda (Fellow in Pain Medicine, Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, AIIMS New Delhi) for his support towards this initiative.

IAPC’s Election Results (2025)

Nominations were invited for the posts of Secretary, IAPC (2026 – 2029) (Secretary Elect from 2025 – 2026; Secretary from 2026 – 2029) and Executive Committee (EC) Member, West Region (1 member) (2025 – 2027).

2 nominations were submitted for each of the mentioned posts. All nominations received were screened by the IAPC’s EC body and only one nomination from each category was found to be valid.

The following were declared elected unopposed:

Secretary (2026 – 2029): Dr Anuja Damani
Executive Committee Member, West Region (2025 – 2027): Dr Priti Sanghavi

Please click here to view the members of the IAPC’s Core Committee, and click here to view the members of the IAPC’s Executive Committee.

The IAPC is delighted to have them join the team!

The APM’s Governing Council has been reconstituted

The Academy of Palliative Medicine’s (APM) Governing Council (GC) has been reconstituted considering the suggestions from the IAPC’s Executive Committee members during a meeting held on Friday, 31^st January, 2025.

The members of the reconstituted Governing Council of APM are as follows:

Chairperson: Dr Sushma Bhatnagar
Secretary General: Dr Naveen Salins
Chair of Board of Studies: Dr Jenifer Jeba
Ex -Officio (President, IAPC): Dr Geeta Joshi
Ex -Officio (Hon Secretary, IAPC): Dr Savita Butola
Members:
- Dr Srinagesh Simha
- Dr Mary Ann Muckaden
- Dr Fiona Rawlinson
- Dr Pankaj Singhai (MD Palliative Medicine)
- Dr Krithika S. Rao (MD Palliative Medicine)
- Dr Puneet Rathore (MD Palliative Medicine)
- Dr Shamali Poojary (MD Palliative Medicine)

Best wishes to the new Team!

Key Highlights from the IAPC’s AGBM held on 1^st February, 2025

The IAPC’s in-person Annual General Body meeting (AGBM) was held at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, 1^st February, 2025, at the Auditorium, AIIMS Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir.

The key highlights from the AGBM as follows:

A reduced Institutional membership fee of Rs 30,000/- for NGOs working in Palliative Care
Revised Life Membership fee: Rs 11,000/- for Doctors and Rs 5,000/- for Nurses
IJPC: Revised publishing charges for articles: Original articles Rs. 10,000/-; Review articles Rs 6,000/-; and Case Reports Rs 4,000/-
IJPC: Recognition for Reviewers announced including awards and certificates
IAPCON 2027: Proposal submitted by the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) & SUM Hospital, Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA University), Bhubaneswar was approved
Dr. Anuja Damani assumed the role of Secretary Elect for 2025-26, ahead of taking office as Secretary for the term 2026-29.
Dr. Priti Sanghavi from the Western region also commenced her term as Executive Committee member, serving from 2025-27
Outgoing President Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar delivered a farewell speech, marking the end of her successful two-term presidency from 2019-25. The General Body honoured her remarkable contributions with a standing ovation.
Dr. Geeta Joshi took office as the President of IAPC for the term 2025-28, delivering an inspiring inaugural speech that outlined her vision and immediate priorities.

Important step forward regarding Living Will

The Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) welcomes the Karnataka Government’s order of Thursday, 30^th January, 2025.

This order simplifies the due process for withholding or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment (WLST) in terminally ill patients as per the Supreme Court Judgment of January 2023. When a patient is terminally ill with no hope of recovery, or in a persistent vegetative state and/or where the patient can no longer benefit from life support, families and doctors can move for WLST.

With this order, the Karnataka government is the first State Government in India to make the process of withholding or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment feasible in any part of the state. We are hopeful that other states will follow suit to uphold human dignity in end of life care.

Please click here for complete details regarding this.

IAPCON 2025 concludes with success and grandeur on 2^nd February, 2025

The 32^nd Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2025) concluded successfully at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu, on Sunday, 2^nd February, 2025. The energy filled conference themed ‘Evidence based Palliative Care’ was held between Friday, 31^st January, 2025, and Sunday, 2^nd February, 2025.

Below are the highlights from the conference.

Pre conference workshops:

344 delegates participated in 14 very innovative and interesting pre-conference workshops held on Thursday, 30^th January, 2025.

Conference:

Over 820 delegates from India and beyond participated at IAPCON 2025 to share ideas, exchange best practices, network and encourage peer learning.

The conference was inaugurated by Shri Manoj Sinha Ji (Hon. Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir), Dr Shakti Kumar Gupta (Executive Director and CEO, AIIMS Jammu), Dr Sushma Bhatnagar (Former President, IAPC), Dr Rohit Lahori and Dr Sunana Gupta (Organising Secretaries, IAPCON 2025). During the inauguration, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji emphasized the need for public-private sector collaboration to establish palliative care centers in remote and underserved areas. He also urged experts and the IAPC to foster multi-sectoral partnerships to create a skilled workforce of trained caregivers.

The ‘Bruce Davis Award’ and the ‘IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses 2024’ were also presented during the inaugural ceremony.

A total of 114 posters were presented, 87 oral presentations were held, and 45 free posters were listed.

The IAPC’s Annual General Body meeting (AGBM) was held on Saturday, 1^st February, 2025.

The Valedictory ceremony of IAPCON 2025 was held on Sunday, 2^nd February, 2025, with the distribution of various awards such as the ‘IAPC’s Award for Doctors for both oral and poster presentations’, the ‘IAPC’s Award for Nurses, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Psychologists, and Volunteers for both oral and poster presentations’, the ‘Cancer Aid Society Awards’, ‘MT Bhatia Award for Best Poster presentation for Nurses’, Prizes from the various competitions such as ‘Meme competition’, ‘IAPC’s Annual Debate 2025’ and the ‘IAPC’s Annual Quiz’. A total of 108 submissions were received for the meme competition.

IAPCON 2025 was organised jointly by the Jammu and Kasmir Chapter of IAPC and AIIMS Jammu.

To read the complete report shared by the conference organisers, click here. Also, please click here to access the photo gallery from IAPCON 2025.

Submit entries before 9^th March, 2025, to participate in the IAPC’s initiative to celebrate World Poetry Day!

Submit entries before Sunday, 9^th March, 2025, to grab your last chance to share your voice and experiences through the power of poetry, to celebrate World Poetry Day 2025 (21^st March, 2025). This initiative by the IAPC aims to highlight the profound connections, reflections, and moments of healing that define palliative care.

Poets from the palliative care fraternity are invited to share their work with the world as per the following guidelines:

An original poem (related to palliative care) penned by the submitting poet themself
Only one submission per poet
Poem should be in English language only (The English translated version of a poet’s original work from other languages can be submitted)

Please click here for further information and to submit your poem.

The publications will be showcased on Friday, 21^st March, 2025.

The IJPC’s January – March 2025 edition is now online

The Indian Journal of Palliative Care’s (IJPC) January – March 2025 edition is now online!

Please click here to read the current issue (Volume 31 and Issue 1) of the IJPC. The current issue features a very diverse and interesting collection of original articles, a short communication, a commentary and 2 letters to the editor.

The IJPC is the IAPC’s open-access peer-reviewed journal which is committed to publishing high-quality articles in the field of Palliative Care.

Please click here for further information about IJPC.

The ‘Goa State Palliative Care Policy’ launched on 4^th February, 2025

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, Tuesday, 4^th February, 2025, the Directorate of Health Services, Goa, and the Goa Medical College, launched the Goa State Palliative Care Policy. The policy was launched to facilitate the implementation of the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC).

Goa is the smallest state of India with an area of 3700 square kilometres and a population of about 15 lakhs. Goa’s topography, the excellent network of roads and a well-knit medical fraternity, makes the formulation and implementation of a statewide palliative care program feasible. The Goa Palliative Care policy has been drafted with a goal of decentralising palliative care from Goa Medical College to the District Hospitals and the primary health centres. A hub and spoke model will be adopted in which the Goa Medical College will be the hub and the spokes being the periphery regions of the state. The aim is to therefore provide good quality palliative care to every family in Goa right at their doorstep.

The launch of the new policy and the operational guidelines, envisages the availability and accessibility of palliative care services at all levels of Goa’s public health system.

The policy was launched by the Shri. Vishwajit Rane (Hon. Health Minister, Goa) in the presence of dignitaries from Goa Medical College, Directorate of Health Services, and NGOs like Cipla Foundation and Novi Survat who support the cause.

Goa now becomes the fifth State in the country, after Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to have an official State Palliative Care policy.

Early Bird registrations are now open for IAPCON 2026!

Register now to avail the early bird registration rates to participate at the 33^rd Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2026).

IAPCON 2026 will be held at the National Institute for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (NI-MSME), Hyderabad, Telangana, between Friday, 13^th February, 2026, and Sunday, 15^th February 2026. Pre-conference workshops are scheduled to be held on Thursday, 12^th February, 2026. The conference is being organised jointly by Sparsh Hospice – Centre for Palliative Care, Hyderabad, and the Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Hyderabad.

Conference organisers share that the conference is themed ‘Continuum of Care: Hospital, Hospice, and Home’ to resonate with the importance of ensuring seamless and comprehensive care for patients across all stages of their healthcare journey, emphasizing collaboration and holistic support in diverse care settings. The conference aims to therefore strengthen the palliative care network and elevate its integration into the healthcare system of the nation.

Register now to not only enjoy discounted registration rates but to also block your spot to savour an exciting academic and cultural lineup, including keynote addresses, orations, scientific sessions (oral and poster presentations), awards, workshops, and much more.

Please visit the conference website for further details and to register for IAPCON 2026.

The theme for WHPCD 2025: Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care

The Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) has announced that the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) this year will be celebrated on Saturday, 11^th October, 2025.

The theme for 2025 is ‘Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care’, as it builds on last year’s campaign where 10 years were marked since the World Health Assembly (WHO’s Governing Body) passed the only stand-alone resolution on palliative care, calling for all countries to “strengthen palliative care as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course.” The aim now is to therefore achieve this promise.

The WHPCD is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world.

Tune in at 2:55 p.m. on 19^th March, 2025, for a multilingual edition of ‘Singing for the Stars’

The IAPC and the Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA) Nirvana invite you to join us at 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday, 19^th March, 2025, for a national multilingual edition of ‘Singing for the Stars’.

This edition of the program is dedicated to our friends from across the country.

The evening of harmonies will be presented by Ms Himangi Vishwaroop (Vocalist, Music Composer and Performing Artist).

Don’t forget to join us at 2:55 p.m. on 19^th March, 2025.

Update from the February 2025 event

The February edition of ‘Singing for the Stars’ for 2025, was held at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 18^th February, 2025.

The melodious evening of harmonies was presented by Mr Athishay Jain (Vocalist, Music Composer, Performing Artist) as he presented soulful songs in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.

Team IAPC and Team SMA Nirvana take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to all those who joined us and 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.

The new vacancies listed this month are:

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.

Announcements / Messages from IAPC