Pain and Palliative Care Services of General Hospital, Ernakulam: A Case Study based on Participatory Approach

Palliative caregiving in India, especially in the State of Kerala, is the need of with increasing life expectancy and rising number of non-communicable diseases including cancer. The Government of Kerala is the first State Government in India to adopt a pain and palliative care policy to facilitate community based home care initiatives. The pain and palliative care unit, attached to the General Hospital, Ernakulum, Kerala, India is one such initiative of the Government. The public health approach in palliative care is worth considering for research in Kerala with a growing elderly population.