First Government Hospice Care Centre Opens At Tambaram Government Hospital

Tamil Nadu’s first government-run hospice care centre has commenced operations this year at the Tambaram Government Hospital, providing crucial end-of-life support and pain management for terminally ill patients. Attached to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH), the facility aims to ease the physical, emotional, and financial burdens on families who can no longer sustain home care or private hospital treatments.

The facility serves as a vital resource for patients who can no longer benefit from curative treatment. Among those currently receiving care is 84-year-old Bhagya Ammal, who was admitted to the centre after her family found it impossible to manage her condition at home.

According to her daughter-in-law, 49-year-old housewife E Devi, Bhagya Ammal had slipped and fallen in her bathroom more than a month ago. She was taken to a private hospital, where doctors found nine cancerous tumors in her body. Because she was too frail to survive surgeries to remove the tumors or to undergo aggressive therapy, her family took her home.

However, the physical and emotional toll of managing her care proved overwhelming almost immediately. The family struggled to cope with the demands of home care.

"We could do that even two days. It was too much her and for us," Devi said.

Seeking assistance, the family turned to the RGGH, which referred them to the new hospice care centre at the Tambaram Government Hospital.

At the Tambaram facility, staff focus on palliative care and pain management. Devi noted that the transition has brought relief to the family.

"They give her medicines to manage aches and pains. We know she may not live long, but at least she is not suffering," Devi said.

Bhagya Ammal is currently one of six patients receiving end-of-life care at the centre. The facility fills a significant gap in the healthcare system, offering a solution for families who find both home care and continued hospital treatment untenable medically, financially, physically, or emotionally.