Mumbai, October 10, 2026: The King George V Memorial Trust and Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre on Saturday marked World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026 with an event at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, highlighting the need for palliative care for patients living with serious, life-limiting illnesses beyond cancer. The event was graced by BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide as the Guest of Honour, among dignitaries from the medical world. Dr Eric Borges, Chairman, King George V Memorial Trust, addressed the gathering on Sukoon Nilaya’s work and the need to expand access to palliative care for non-cancer patients.
“Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre and its Adult Day Care Centre are at the forefront of writing the manual of compassionate care that will alter the face of Palliative Care in Mumbai. We even train and empower caregivers for at-home recovery. Our aim is to give families the knowledge and support they need to continue care at home. Moreover, impressed by the Trust’s work, the Governor and the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai have proposed seven more adult day-care centres across Mumbai, to which the Trust has assured its support,” Dr Borges said.
There is a huge unmet need for Palliative Care for non-cancer patients. In Maharashtra alone, there are potentially 2.6 million people who need Palliative Care. However, only 20,000 get access to holistic and comprehensive care. People living with advanced chronic neurological, lung, kidney and liver diseases also need pain relief and symptom management, rehabilitation and counselling, provision of assisted devices where required. Established in 2021, Sukoon Nilaya is Maharashtra’s first dedicated palliative care centre focused on non-cancer patients with life-limiting illnesses.
The Centre cares for patients suffering from advanced conditions including neurological, lung, kidney and liver failure, addressing a segment of palliative care that has traditionally received less attention. The Trust also runs a one-of-a-kind adult day-care centre in Maharashtra called The Sanctuary. It started in 2023 for senior citizens and specially-abled adults to combat isolation and loneliness among senior citizens and specially abled citizens of Mumbai. The Centre began as a 12-bed pilot project and has grown to a 35-bed facility, with further expansion planned.
It provides its services free of charge. Sukoon Nilaya’s work rests on three key areas, including patient care, caregiver training and education. Its clinical services include medical therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and swallow therapy, counselling, and grief and bereavement support. The Centre also trains family caregivers to manage patients after they return home. Families receive guidance on providing palliative care at home, while patients continue to receive follow-up through telephone and video consultations and, where required, home-care services. Sukoon Nilaya continues to depend on CSR contributions and support from civil society to provide its services free of charge and expand its capacity. The Trust plans to add around 12,000 sq. ft. of infrastructure for additional beds, classrooms, training facilities, a library, laboratories and an auditorium.