Since its launch in 2012, the Maharashtra government’s free palliative care program has helped 201,566 patients suffering from chronic illnesses. The program began as a trial in Jawhar and Igatpuri. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the initiative expanded more. It now operates in 17 districts.
The health department has now announced plans to extend it to all districts soon. Palliative care focuses on relieving the suffering of patients in the final stages of life. Many conditions are treated under this program. Some of them are cancer, paralysis, HIV, drug-resistant tuberculosis, mental health issues in children, disabilities in the elderly, and advanced kidney and liver diseases.
In 2019–20, Maharashtra’s palliative care clinics recorded around 10,000 outpatient and inpatient visits. During the lockdown, this number decreased. But in recent years, the program’s patient numbers have grown significantly:
2019-20: 9776
2020-21: 3957
2021-22: 38,820
2022-23: 44,931
Until March 2024: 104,087
Over the last five years, clinics registered 155,303 follow-up visits. To reach patients unable to travel, medical staff conducted 101,851 home visits across Maharashtra. These visits provided necessary care for patients facing severe health challenges. The goal is to help individuals who have disabling conditions that make home care difficult.
The program has been especially helpful for individuals for whom curative treatments are no longer effective. Psycho-social support is also a main part of the program. To date, 143,377 patients have received therapies for issues such as addiction recovery and relapse prevention. The number of these cases rose from 4,727 in 2019–20 to 41,689 in 2022–23.
Each clinic’s team includes an ASHA worker, a supervisor, a social worker or multitask worker, and a medical officer. ASHAs, known as Accredited Social Health Activists, play a key role by reaching out to patients in remote areas. These teams make home visits, administer medications, and provide counseling. They also offer outpatient and inpatient care, including pain relief through medicines like morphine.
The Maharashtra program relies on both dedicated personnel and existing resources. In districts without dedicated clinics, non-communicable disease (NCD) program officials deliver palliative care services at district hospitals twice a week. They also offer home-based care in certain areas.
In contrast, private palliative care in India is costly, ranging from INR 1,500 to INR 10,000 daily for home care and INR 20,000 to INR 50,000 for inpatient services.
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