Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengaluru will establish a dedicated pain relief unit on its campus with funding from corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, the institute’s director, Dr R. Krishnappa, said on Saturday. The announcement was made during a World Hospice and Palliative Care Day programme organised by the institute at the Infosys auditorium.
Krishnappa said the institute was adopting modern medical technology needed for cancer treatment and was also providing palliative-care services to patients at home. More than 3,000 beneficiaries, including patients and their caregivers, have received these services, he said.
The home-based service is currently being provided within a 15-kilometre radius of the hospital. The institute plans to expand the coverage in the coming days, according to Krishnappa. The proposed pain relief unit is expected to create a dedicated facility within the hospital campus for patients requiring pain management and palliative support, although the announcement did not specify its construction timeline, cost or completion date.
Dr Yaduraj, head of the institute’s Pain Relief and Palliative Care Centre, said a telephone and video-call service called ‘Neravina Kare’ had been restarted to help patients living outside Bengaluru access specialist care and guidance more easily. A team comprising palliative-care specialist doctors, nurses and clinical psycho-oncologists is providing guidance and support through the service, he said.
The services cover more than end-of-life medical care. According to Yaduraj, palliative care at the institute also includes support for family members after a patient’s death. Grief management and counselling are being offered to help relatives cope with loss and recover emotionally.
The expansion places pain management, home-based care and family support within the same institutional framework. For patients who live far from Bengaluru, the telephone and video-based service provides a channel to seek guidance without travelling to the hospital for every interaction. The institute’s stated plan to widen its 15-kilometre home-care reach would extend that support to more households, though the announcement did not provide a revised coverage area or implementation schedule.
The programme was attended by medical superintendent Dr T. Naveen, head of the Oral Oncology Department Dr Nadeemulla Huda, resident medical officers Basavaraju and Dr Mahanthesh, along with other staff. The institute’s next steps are the CSR-supported construction of the dedicated pain relief unit, the continued operation of the restarted remote-support service and the planned expansion of home-based palliative care.
