Palliative care, which oncologists say is one of the most crucial parts of the treatment for many cancer patients, is yet to take off in Calcutta properly.

Palliative care often remains ignored, thus depriving terminally ill patients of the dignity that they deserve in the last stages of their lives, said doctors.

A private hospital in the city recently conducted a session on palliative care to make patients and their family members aware of its importance.

“Once an individual has advanced cancer and the disease cannot be cured any more, the patient is often isolated and left on their own. Everybody has the right to live and die with dignity, but this dignity is often severely compromised and the patient is not provided with any palliative care to relieve them of the pain and other symptoms,” surgical oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay said.

Palliative care has not taken off in this part of the country, said Mukhopadhyay. “Designated palliative care wards are a requirement in all hospitals but such wards are not easily available,” he said.

The session on palliative care was conducted by the Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute.

“Cancer in an advanced stage cannot be cured but the quality of life becomes more important than the number of days a person survives. Hence, palliation becomes important,” said Arnab Gupta, director, Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute.

Gupta said the hospital has a palliative care ward with 15 beds. “But not all beds are occupied. The awareness about palliative care is low,” Gupta said.

Patients staying within 20km of the hospital can avail of palliative care at home.

Oncologist Rakesh Roy, in charge of the pain and palliative care at the institute, said they explained to patients and their family members that palliation is a discipline that covers physical, social and psychological treatment.

“We insist that patients come before they reach the final stage so they can be provided with palliative care. If they come at the last stage, they have to be under critical care and not palliative care,” said Roy.

Premashraya, a home for cancer patients run by Tata Medical Center, has a palliative care unit with 18 beds. “Twelve are occupied currently. In palliative care, we provide pain management when cancer has metastasised and can’t be arrested,” said Sudeshna Dutta, the head of operations at Premashraya.

“There are many hospices (where palliative care is available) abroad. They are not easily available here. A hospice for the terminally ill is not as commercially viable as a hospital,” said Mukhopadhyay.