As part of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026, Mahaveer Ashray Hospice, a unit of Cancer Institute (WIA), organised a half-day awareness programme, “Total Pain, Total Care: The Social Worker’s Role in Palliative Care”, on 31/10/26 at Mahaveer Ashray, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

More than 30 social workers from diverse sectors participated, reflecting on their role in recognising and addressing the multidimensional suffering of patients and families.

The programme was chaired by Mrs Stella Mathew of Golden Butterflies NGO and Dr Dhaarani, Paediatric Oncologist at Rela Hospital. Dr Geetha, Nephrologist and Palliative Care Physician, joined as the invited speaker.

Sessions were led by Dr Thendral, Associate Professor and In-charge, Hospice; Dr Daniel Raj, Palliative Care Physician; Ms Thilagavathi, Psychologist; and Mr Gobinath, Social Worker. The programme was organised with the support and guidance of Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan, Director & CEO, and Dr Meenakshi V V, Head of the Department, Palliative Medicine.

Discussions covered palliative care, total pain, social work interventions, and communication. Interactive sessions explored the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of pain. The programme concluded with a presentation on Mahaveer Ashray’s services and a guided hospice tour.

This provided a valuable opportunity for learning and collaboration, reaffirming the contribution of social workers to compassionate, person-centred palliative care.