BENGALURU: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday inaugurated a palliative care unit at KC General Hospital in collaboration with Saranam India, stating that the government is working towards expanding palliative care services across the state.
Rao said palliative care is not aimed at curing diseases but at improving the quality of life of patients in advanced stages of illness who are no longer responding to treatment. He said such centres would provide relief from severe pain, emotional distress and other complications faced by terminally ill patients, while also supporting their families.
The newly launched facility has begun with a five-bed ward dedicated to patients suffering from life-threatening and end-stage illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure and severe neurological disorders. The unit will focus on pain management, counselling and supportive care for patients facing breathing difficulties, chronic pain and mental health challenges.
Rao said the state government has already initiated similar palliative care centres in four to five locations in Bengaluru and plans to expand the model across Karnataka in the coming months. He added that family members of patients would also be given proper training to support home-based care.
The unit includes outpatient services, a day-care section for pain relief and counselling, a fully equipped inpatient ward and a mobile care unit. The mobile team will provide home-based care and caregiver support within a 5–8 km radius of the hospital.