The First Case of Withdrawal/Withholding of Life Support in India A First-Hand Report by Dr Savita Butola for the Advance Care Planning- India (ACP-I) Team A Peaceful Passing Finally, Mr Harish Rana passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family members, at the Palliative Care Department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi,…
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From Jodhpur to Barmer: Bridging Care with Compassion – Mr Jagdish Prajapati, Jodhpur Mrs. Jyoti Devi (name changed), a 47-year-old woman, was diagnosed with carcinoma cervix in 2023. She first visited AIIMS Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 20th December 2023, where she received treatment in the Departments of Radiotherapy and Surgical Oncology. During the course of her…
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Against All Odds: A Child’s Journey to Safe and Dignified Care – The Team PRPCS, Hyderabad Uday (name changed) was born into a financially challenged family, bringing with him hopes and dreams, as the birth of any first child so often does. However, these hopes were soon tested when he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy,…
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They Lifted Her When Others Would Not – Dr Chhaya Chandrasekhar, New Delhi Usha died quietly. But the silence around her was full of questions. I had watched her illness in pieces, a young woman with cancer of the buccal mucosa, never treated, growing weaker because poverty kept closing doors. Her husband, already disabled, moved…
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My journey with palliative care so far: Reflections of a young nurse – Mr Samim Reja Biswas, Bengaluru Beginning My Career in Palliative Care When I joined Karunashraya, I did not have a clear idea of what palliative care involved in practical terms. Like many healthcare professionals, my understanding was limited to basic definitions learned…
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“When Pain Whispers Fear”- An Adolescent Case That Marked The Beginning – Dr. Dhanashri Kudal, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar It was my very first adolescent case as a Consultant at the State Cancer Institute. I was reviewing my list of new consults when his name appeared. He was 18, barely a man, yet already weathered by…
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Palliative Care – An Essential Link in TB and HIV Care Continuum – Mr. Andrew Adeck Omuse, South Sudan Having tuberculosis can be scary and stressful. It makes the person weaker in body, mind, and emotions. But in this fight, we also see strong examples of creativity and resilience. One of these stories is about a…
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Kavita’s Journey of Hope – Dr. Suman Chauhan, Jodhpur Kavita, a 40-year-old woman, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. Hailing from Gujarat she settled in jodhpur after her marriage. She lives with her husband and her daughter, a 19-year girl, who is now in college. For Kavita, her daughter has been a constant source…
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The Seventh Element: Palliative Care as the core essence of Medicine and Science – Dr. Ravi Kiran Pothamsetty, Madurai World Compassion Day (WCD 2025) is celebrated annually on November 28, intended not merely as a day of symbolic gestures, but as a call to embrace a truly compassionate lifestyle that honors all living beings with…
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Touching Lives through Palliative Care – Ms. Maya Nair, Indore When I look back on my life, I see a journey shaped by compassion and discipline. In 1989, I stepped into the Operation Theatre (OT) as a young nurse, and for more than 32 years, it was my world. The sounds of instruments, the sterile…
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