Jammu Kashmir Records Over 54,000 Patients in Palliative Care In One Year | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has reported a significant palliative care load, with 54,738 patients receiving services in 2023–24, according to data placed before the Rajya Sabha by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. The Ministry said that the National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC) now covers 600 districts across India, marking one of the most extensive expansions in recent years as the Government pushes palliative care into primary health systems and home-based service models.

Nationally, large states such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, and Maharashtra reported patient numbers running into lakhs, driven by rising chronic illnesses, ageing populations, and improved reporting from district health systems. Kerala, long considered a pioneer in community-led palliative care, reported services functioning in all 14 districts. The Ministry said that basic palliative care training is now mandatory for all MBBS graduates and that nursing students receive dedicated coursework to strengthen frontline capacity.

Jammu and Kashmir, however, remains covered under the NPPC in only one district as of October 2025, despite the high patient load recorded last year. The Union Territory reported 44,076 patients availing out-patient care, 4,751 receiving home-based visits, and 5,911 requiring in-patient support. Officials said the disparity between programme coverage and the actual patient burden underscores the urgent need for district-level expansion, especially in rural belts where home-based care teams are often the primary source of support for bedridden patients.

Ladakh, which has been treated separately in the national data, has both its districts—Leh and Kargil—covered under the NPPC. This makes Ladakh one of the few Himalayan regions with full district-level palliative care coverage. Given its harsh terrain, scattered settlements, and severe winter constraints, Ladakh’s inclusion underlines the Government’s emphasis on home-based and community-driven care models where trained health workers, ASHAs, and Community Health Officers play a crucial role in ensuring continuity of care. Officials said that without such frontline-led models, patients in remote block areas would remain cut off from regular medical follow-up.

The Ministry informed Parliament that palliative care is now recognised as one of the twelve essential services delivered through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Teams comprising doctors, nurses, social workers, community volunteers, and ASHAs are tasked with identifying patients needing palliative care, managing pain and other symptoms, and providing counselling and emotional support through home visits and referrals.

Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life of people living with serious or long-term illnesses. Instead of treating the underlying disease, it aims to manage pain, breathlessness, fatigue, and psychological stress, while offering support to families. Delivered through hospitals, clinics, or home-based teams, palliative care helps patients maintain dignity, comfort, and emotional wellbeing throughout the course of chronic or life-limiting conditions.