Neuro-palliative care ward opens at Sparsh Hospice

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated India’s first-of-its-kind, 8-bed dedicated Neuro-Palliative Care Ward at Sparsh Hospice in Khajaguda. The specialized facility aims to provide affordable, compassionate, and round-the-clock nursing support for patients battling advanced neurological disorders like stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.

Touring the facility, the Minister lauded the initiative as a "marvellous humanitarian service" that strengthens India’s healthcare infrastructure. Addressing the gathering, he strongly advocated for the inclusion of hospice and palliative care under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to ensure dignified end-of-life care without financial hardship. He assured the management that he would raise the issue with competent authorities.

Medical experts noted that the ward addresses a critical gap, offering highly subsidized, skilled multidisciplinary care to reduce the physical and financial burden on families. Concurrently, Sparsh Hospice—a project of the Rotary Club of Banjara Hills which has aided over 16,500 patients—submitted a representation seeking a special CGHS empanelment exemption. Because existing norms mandate multi-speciality infrastructure like OTs, standalone hospices are excluded. The management urged a policy shift to benefit thousands of central government pensioners and employees requiring specialized comfort care.