From the President’s Desk

From the President’s Desk

Dear Friends,

The Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) continues to march ahead with purpose  and commitment to strengthening academic initiatives, facilitating state-level training under the National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC), and fostering collaborations with key national and international organizations.

I am pleased to share that IAPC has now fulfilled all statutory compliance requirements as a registered charitable trust. We have updated and registered our bylaws and obtained the necessary approvals from the Charity Commissioner and the Income Tax Department. These legal steps are essential for transparency and for sustaining the credibility of our organization.

The Executive Committee remains committed to functioning with purpose and efficiency. Our recent Mid-Term Meeting (MTM) held in Hyderabad on 11 to 12 July 2025 was a productive meeting, strengthening our shared vision and action plan. Some important highlights:

• IAPCON 2026 will be hosted in Hyderabad from 13^th to 15^th February 2026. The EC team visited the proposed venue and reviewed the arrangements. Dr. Praneeth Suvari (Scientific Chair, IAPCON 2026) presented the draft scientific agenda, and the executive committee provided their recommendations.
   
  • As the IAPC has completed three decades of glorious and eventful journey, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Sukdev Naik will receive the IAPC Oration Award and Dr. M. T. Bhatia will be honoured with the Visionary Award.
     
  • A new structure has been proposed for paper and poster presentation awards, with separate categories for Consultants, Postgraduate trainees and Fellows, Nurses, and others.
     
  • Efforts are underway to obtain grants from IAHPC to support participation at IAPCON 2026.
     
  • Special registration provisions for volunteers are also being planned.
     
• Strengthening State Chapters: In order to strengthen state chapters of IAPC, funding for their training programs and advocacy related activities will be provided by the Secretariat of IAPC.
   
• All academic departments involved in MD/DNB training are encouraged to remain closely associated with the Academy of Palliative Medicine (APM), IAPC. Active participation in PG Assemblies and IAPCON is crucial. We encourage departments to liaise with their respective regional representatives, support formation of state chapters, and help organize CMEs and workshops. Additionally, collaboration with State NHM/MoHFW offices is vital to scale up NPPC trainings.
   
• Academic Initiatives: We are in process of preparing a Policy Manual for effective administration of all courses under IAPC. The course directors and Co-ordinators will have smooth functioning, handing and taking over process to conduct the course. I am happy to share that the development of new training programs is underway, including a Capacity Building Program in Clinical Audits, Foundation Course in Paediatric Palliative Care, and Foundation Course for Nursing Faculty.
   
• Organizational Development: Dr. Asha Shetty (Principal College of Nursing AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar) has now been appointed as the co-opted member of nursing. Co-opted members for volunteers and psychologists will be identified shortly.

As the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) is coming soon, IAPC in association with various national and international organisations is planning webinars and competitions. For more details visit IAPCs dedicated page on for WHPCD

Our shared journey is one of purpose, compassion, and collective action. I thank each one of you for your commitment to palliative care and to the mission of IAPC. Let us continue to work together to make quality palliative care accessible to all who need it.

Warm regards.

Dr. Geeta Joshi
President, Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC)