Palliative care is a combination of pain and symptom relief, and social and emotional support. It means being interested in the person as well as in his diagnosis, and skillfully using medications so that patients’ can have a new lease of life, free from pain.  The poor in India, suffering from terminal illnesses, have very few places to turn to for relief. There is no National Health Service so they are usually dependent on Government Hospitals where appropriate care is neither known about nor offered. Many patients cannot afford to go anywhere. As a result, around 2,000,000 people in India at any one time, are living with increasing pain. 

The Pain and Palliative Society (PPCS) of Calicut, Kerala was set up in 1993 in response to this desperate situation. Today, their clinic on average, sees 65 patients daily, of which an average of 7 are new patients. Of these, 80% have advanced cancer, 17% have painful non-malignant conditions and 2-3% are HIV positive. Around 2,300 patients benefit each year at PPCS under the compassionate care of a group of dedicated doctors, nurses and volunteers. 

The clinic has had remarkable success in training a large group of doctors and nurses from all over India and also from neighboring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Indonesia. In 1997 the skills of this dedicated team were recognized by the World Health Organization and PPCS became a WHO Demonstration Project.

In 2001, The Wilfrid Bruce Davis Trust, a registered UK charity which supports cancer relief in particular, offered to underwrite the costs for the construction of an in-patient facility and training centre for the society as there are no beds available at the clinic despite the terrible pain often suffered by the patients. Further more, the society wished to carry out more training yet were constrained by lack of space, manpower and finance. It is vital that the clinic continues to train doctors and nurses throughout Asia as the aim must be PAIN RELIEF FOR ALL.  

The Savitri Waney Charitable Trust supported the Wilfrid Bruce Davis Trust by contributing £20,000 towards the construction costs over two years. The Trust also held a “Keralan evening” in London to raise funds for equipping the facility on February 20th 2002. Thanks to the very generous donations of our supporters we were able to raise £18,148.

The in-patient facility, opened in March 2003, includes 60 beds in total (for patients and some for relatives), and will enable patients to be treated over a longer period of time and have their treatment monitored. Relatives accompanying the patient will be given some training and support, so that they are able to care for their loved ones with confidence on return to their homes. The training centre, yet to be completed, will house a lecture hall, two class rooms and a library. It is expected to be regularly used to promote palliative care and related topics.

01.Eye-Care

02.Pain & Palliative care

03.Health provision

04.Community development

A young girl being treated for acute pain in the feet.