Response sought on plea seeking palliative care centres in govt hospitals

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday sought a response from the state government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking the establishment of special centres to give palliative and intensive care for terminally ill patients in the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) of Madurai and several other government hospitals in the state.

The litigant AV Saha, an advocate from Madurai, alleged that both the union and state government have done very little in terms of providing palliative care and pain management services. "The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that countries establish a national palliative care policy or program. In India, however, a national policy or program does not exist, even though such policies exist for various other illnesses and conditions," he added.

Though all the government hospitals are not having palliative care centres, they have access to the required medicines for palliative care like morphine and its derivatives. But they are not providing proper palliative care for the patients, Saha further alleged. Stating that poor people, who are terminally ill and are dependent on government hospitals for medical treatment, are also entitled to palliative care and the right to die with dignity, he sought the above direction to establish special palliative care centres in major government hospitals in Madurai, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, and Tiruchy.

A Bench of justices D Krishnakumar and R Vijayakumar issued notice to the authorities concerned and adjourned the case for their response.