JHU signs MoU with AIF to establish palliative care centres in India

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bengaluru- based Ajit Isaac Foundation (AIF) to assist in establishing and launching palliative care centres in underserved regions of India, on Thursday. In a press release issued by AIF, the foundation highlighted that these centres will provide care to terminally ill patients while also training and supporting community-based caregivers.

“With colleagues in India, we will use evidencebased approaches to help healthcare providers and caregivers improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients, regardless of geography or circumstances,” said Ronald J Daniels, President of JHU. The release further stated that JHU will aid in developing a research fellowship and designing a curriculum. "AIF and JHU will also jointly host workshops and conferences, both in India and internationally, to showcase advancements in palliative care, fostering knowledge exchange and promoting best practices," it added.

Ajit Isaac, co-founder of AIF, pointed out that only 1-2 per cent of the estimated 8-10 million Indians requiring palliative care have access to such services, compared to the global average of 14 per cent. He noted that most palliative care centres are concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural regions underserved and exacerbating healthcare access inequities. “This collaboration seeks to address these disparities by expanding access to high-quality end-of-life care in underserved regions, enabling terminally ill patients to experience comfort and peace in their final stages of life,” he said.

AIF is currently establishing a 63-bed Palliative Care Centre in Tumkur, scheduled to launch in early 2025. This centre will serve as the foundation for the JHU-AIF collaboration, which aims to design and implement comprehensive training programmes in palliative care, offered both online and offline, with continued mentorship for staff, the release added.