Hyderabad: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said nearly one crore patients needed palliative care in India each year, though only four per cent received it. He cited a World Health Organisation warning while raising the issue in the Lok Sabha. Union Minister of State for Health Pratap Rao Jadhav replied to his question. He said 70 lakh to one crore people require palliative support annually. He added that the National Programme for Palliative Care offered outpatient and inpatient services in more than 600 district hospitals.
Jadhav said ASHA workers and community volunteers provided home-based care. He noted that 60,82,069 people received outpatient support in 2024–25. Another 25,17,663 accessed inpatient care. Home-based teams reached 5,50,056 patients during the same period. He said the Centre expanded training because wider access needed skilled staff. The NPPC, which began in 2012, created special modules for medical officers, staff nurses, community health officers, ANMs and ASHA workers.
Palliative care in India is linked with national health systems
The minister said the Centre listed palliative care as one of the 12 essential services at Ayushman Arogya Mandir centres. He explained that tele-consultation connected specialists with rural teams and improved follow-up. He also said the service worked with national health programmes.
These included the NCD control programme and the HIV/AIDS framework. He added that the ministry aimed to improve access by joining home-based and facility-based care under a single structure.