IAPCON 2026 Concludes with Significant Acclaim

IAPCON 2026 Concludes with Significant Acclaim

– Dr SKV Raju (Organising Secretary, IAPCON 2026)

Theme: Continuum of Care: Hospital, Hospice, and Home

Pre- conference workshops: 12^th February 2026 (multiple venues across Hyderabad)

Main Conference: 13^th to15^th, February 2026

Venue: NI-MSME Campus, Hyderabad, India

The 33^rd Annual International Conference of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPCON 2026) concluded with significant acclaim, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of palliative medicine in the region. Hosted by the Sparsh Hospice and Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital & Research Institute, the conference convened over 650 delegates, experts, clinicians, and advocates from India and around the world to address the integration of palliative services across diverse healthcare settings.

Highlights of Day 1, Friday, 12^th February 2025

The conference was inaugurated with the auspicious lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries on Friday, 13^th February 2026. The dignitaries who graced the occasion were: Dr K. Ramesh Reddy, Chief Guest of the function (Vice Chancellor, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences), Dr Geeta Joshi (President, IAPC),  Dr Raghu S. Thota (Secretary, IAPC); Dr M. Subrahmanyam (Founder Trustee, Sparsh Hospice & Chairperson, IAPCON 2026),  Dr S. K. V. Raju (Organizing Secretary, IAPCON 2026), and Dr Praneeth Suvvari (Scientific Chair, IAPCON 2026).  

• IAPC’s Visionary award to Dr M T Bhatia, Palliative Care pioneer and founding secretary of IAPC was presented. Dr Bhavna Patel received the award on his behalf.
• IAPC’s theme song was unveiled
• The IAPC Mobile App, which includes a dedicated section for IAPCON 2026 with relevant conference details, was launched during the inaugural function. The app can be download ed from apple store / google store.
• Apple store link: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/iapc-2026/id6757645161
• Google store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.iapc&pcampaignid=web_share

Highlights of Day 2 – Saturday, 14^th February 2026

• IAPC Oration Lecture was delivered by Dr Sukdev Nayak, a pioneer in palliative care and former President of IAPC. He was honoured with the Oration Award.
• The “Moments That Matter – Caregiver Training” animation video series was launched. Developed by the BHT – Karunashraya, Bengaluru this series is designed to empower families with simple, practical guidance for caring for their loved ones at home, fostering compassion and confidence in caregiving.
• PALLIKARE App developed by BHT- Karunashraya, Bengaluru was also launched. This free mobile clinical reference app has been developed to support doctors and nurses in confidently managing common palliative care symptoms at the bedside.
• “Healing Conversations”- a publication by JASCAP was launched.
• Dr Gayatri Palat and Dr Archana Iyengar released the Quality and Standards Document for Pediatric Palliative Care
• The “Shukla Basu Award,” instituted by Mr Pranab Basu in memory of his beloved wife, was presented to Dr M. R. Rajagopal (received on his behalf by Ms Smriti Rana), Dr Mami Parija, and Ms Smriti Rana.
• IJPC best reviewer award was presented to Dr Jyothsna Kuriakose. IJPC’s top reviewers award was presented to Dr KV Ganpathy, Dr. Himanshu Varshney, Dr A Latha Srikanth, and Mr. Sachin Dwivedi.
• IAPC’s AGBM was held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by Gala Dinner and cultural programs.

Highlights of Day 3 – Sunday, 15^th February 2026

The awards for winners of various competitions were presented during the valedictory function. The winners are:

• IAPC’s Gold Medal for Nurses: Meenu Yadav (Nursing Officer, AIIMS Jodhpur)
• IAPC Awards for Best Oral Presentations and Poster Presentations across different categories, in the order of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners, are as follows:

Oral Presentations:

• Doctors: Dr Jenifer Jeba Sunderaraj, Dr Anjali Govid, and Dr Satabdi Mitra
• Doctors (Students): Dr Sushmita Ranga, Dr Suhana Sulfiker, and Dr Anushka Choudhary
• Nurses: Mr. Terrymize I, Dr Abhikshika, and Ms. Sangeetha N
• Volunteers and other health care professionals: Ms. Michelle Normen, Mr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, and Ms. Mausami Kirtania

Poster Presentations:

• Doctors: Dr Shaqul Qamar Wani, Dr Aswathi Praveen, and Dr Bhavika Hotchandani
• Doctor Students: Dr Dharunya Pachiyappan, Dr Angelin Johny T, and Dr Revathy Vijayakumar
• Nurses: Ms. Meheli Chakraborty, Ms. Anu Savio Thelly, and Ms. Jeena Varghese
• Volunteers and other health care professionals: Ms. K Shubha Pai, Dr Nutan Paresh Korgaonkar, Mr. Kailash Ganga
• Winners of other competitions in the order of 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd prize winners:
• Debate: Dr Sakshi, Dr Pallavi Ghosh, and 3^rd prize shared by Dr Pulluri Sai Sowmya & Dr Ananya D Bhat
• PalliQuest 2026:1^st prize to team Dr Archa Santhosh, Dr N Prathyusha, and Dr Pulluri Sai Sowmya, 2^nd prize to team Dr Pallavi Ghosh, Dr Rakshitha Latha Veeraragavalu, and Dr Parth Sarthi Jha and 3^rd Prize to team Dr Manoj Ravi, Dr Shabnam Alam, and Subhajit Das.
• Shark Tank: Dr Divya Narayanan
• IAPC’s Theme song award– joint winners are Dr Geeta Joshi (Ahmedabad)and Mr. Umesh Pandey (Siliguri)
• Dr M T Bhatia award for Nurses instituted by Gujarat Chapter of IAPC for best Poster Presentation: Ms. Meheli Chakraborty (Ruma Abedna Hospice, West Bengal)
• Bruce Davis Gold Medal for Young Doctors instituted by the IPM Kozhikode: Dr Archa Santhosh (TMH Mumbai)
• International award for excellence in palliative care by Cancer Aid Society, Lucknow: The winners from different category are:

Doctors: Dr T. Mohanasundaram (Sudharsana Palliative Care Hospital, Tiruchirappalli)

Nurses/ Paramedical: Ms. Neethu

Volunteers/ Social Workers: Ms. Preetha (Soul Palliative Care, Chennai)

Executive Summary of Scientific Proceedings

The academic program was distinguished by its focus on the integration of multi-disciplinary care. High-level plenary sessions emphasized that palliative care must not be a “stand-alone” service but a core component of the healthcare continuum.

• Specialized Palliative Disciplines: Significant emphasis was placed on non-oncological palliative care, with dedicated tracks for Nephrology, Cardiology, and Neurology, addressing the growing need for symptom management in chronic end-organ failure.
• Inclusiveness for All: Various tracks—including Nursing, Postgraduates (PGs), Hospice Care, Arts and Humanities, Paediatric Palliative Care, Policy Making, Research and Education, Psychosocial Issues, Home Care, Palliative Care in Remote Areas, social media Skills, Community-Based Care and Volunteering, and Effective Engagement and Teaching Skills—provided diverse learning opportunities for all categories of palliative care providers, including volunteers.
• Collaborative Academic Tracks: The inclusion of joint sessions with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and MASCC facilitated a robust exchange of international standards and clinical protocols.
• Plenary sessions- delivered by expert in the field
• Technological Innovation: The adoption of “Silent Conference” technology allowed for a dense, high-utility scientific program, maximizing the delivery of multiple simultaneous tracks without acoustic interference.
• Green Initiatives: The organizing committee successfully implemented a sustainability mandate, utilizing digital-first communication strategies that significantly reduced the conference’s carbon footprint.
• The “Hospice Pitch” Initiative: This platform encouraged sustainable business models for palliative care, bridging the gap between clinical intent and operational viability.
• Poster and Paper Presentations, Quiz, Debate, and Shark Tank competitions were marked by enthusiastic participation.
• Advancements in Policy and Education: A primary objective of IAPCON 2026 was the refinement of education and advocacy.
• Cultural Integration and Legacy: The conference successfully balanced rigorous science with the humanistic elements of the field. The historic backdrop of ‘Taramati Baradari’ provided a venue for networking and cultural exchange, reinforcing the importance of community and heritage in patient care. The formal unveiling of the IAPC Theme Song served as a symbolic milestone, unifying the national palliative care community under a shared mission.

Conclusion

IAPCON 2026 has set a new benchmark for scientific excellence and organizational innovation. The organisers hope that the insights gained by delegates in Hyderabad will provide a strategic roadmap for enhancing the quality of life of individuals receiving palliative care , ensuring that the “Continuum of Care” moves from a conceptual framework to a clinical reality.

Highlights of Preconference Workshops, Thursday 11^th February 2026

Sixteen workshops on a wide range of engaging and relevant topics were conducted at multiple venues across the city. A total of 127 faculty members and 385 delegates participated in these sessions.

The workshops were hosted at the following venues:

• Sparsh Hospice
• Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute
• Kumudini Devi Hospice
• International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.

The workshops covered the following topics:

1. ELNEC and Beyond: Strengthening Global Nursing Leadership for Seamless Palliative Care Transitions
2. POCUS with Purpose: Comfort Focused Imaging
3. Seeing the Unseen – Recognising Psychosocial and Spiritual Issues in Palliative and End-of-Life Settings
4. Navigating the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985: Implications for Palliative Care
5. Developing Highly Effective Leaders to Advance Palliative Care
6. Navigating the Oncology Journey – A Physical Therapy Perspective across the Continuum of Care
7. Smart Fixes Psychological Interventions – Making Therapy Individualistic to Palliative Care Patients and Families
8. PalliPulm – Pulmonary Palliative Care
9. Bridging the Gaps: Delivering Holistic End-of-Life Care at Home
10. Home is Where the Heart is! – Understanding the Hows and Whys of Implementing a Good Home Hospice Service
11. Neuropalliative Care in Action: Dignity, Dialogues and Home
12. EQuIP-XP (Enable Quality Improve Patient Care – Express): “Improving What Matters” – Quality Improvement in Palliative Care
13. CBT Approaches in Palliative Care
14. Preserving Dignity & Processing Grief: Integrating Grief and Dignity Therapy in Palliative Care
15. Empathy and Storytelling in Palliative Care and Photography as a Tool of Liberation
16. Navigating Through Complex Decisions for Very Sick Children

Get access to photos from 33rd IAPCON. Here’s how:

1. Download the Victory Studios app: https://victory-studios.app.kamero.ai/49?code=iapcon2026
2. Follow the Event with ID: iapcon2026
3. Filter your photos with AI Face Recognition: Click a selfie in the My Photos album to find your photos easily.
4. View, Download, and Share photos: Enjoy reliving your memories!

Or you can access the event directly on the web without the app: https://victory-studios.kamero.ai/iapcon2026

Let’s relive the magic together!