Kochi, April 21 : Entering its 16th year of extending soothing and loving palliative care to the needy, the Thrissur based Alpha Palliative Care has launched a new feature to its services and has named it 'Upasana' which will remember all those who passed away, when under their care. Alpha celebrates its anniversary on May 3, and by now 35,119 terminally ill or bed-ridden with chronic diseases have been taken care of by its volunteers, of which only 8,006 are alive now. Alpha started its service on May 3, 2005. Since then it has been providing inpatient care, home care and physiotherapy service and now have 17 link canters in different districts in the state and its services are absolutely free. 'Upasana' was launched on Monday near here when 55 people who passed away on April 19 were remembered on the day and its chairman K.M. Noordeen inaugurated the program online from UAE. The next day 56 deceased were remembered while another 44 will be remembered on Wednesday. The inmates of Asish Care Home of Alpha lighted lamps at the inaugural function. Family members of the deceased too took part in the event and the kith and kin of the deceased shared their memories of Alpha. Ten students who are volunteers of Alpha Students Association of Palliative Care offered floral tributes at the portraits of the deceased and then took part in prayers. "The students will pay tributes in batches to the deceased taking turns in the coming days," said Noordeen, a leading businessman based in the UAE. So far 27,113 persons have embraced death under the attention and care of Alpha volunteers. Most of them were patients who were declared terminally ill by doctors as also very aged persons. "Upasana seeks to express respect to the departed ones as well as keep alive their memories. By involving children in the program Alpha aims to inculcate respect and empathy for the elderly in the young ones. The event recalls the days when the families of the departed struck a chord with the Alpha family during the days of palliative care. It also seeks to spread awareness on the importance of palliative care in the state where the number of the elderly is relatively high," added Noordeen. Under 'Upasana', two prayer sessions will be held every day at 10 a.m. and 12 noon. Every day the portraits, addresses and other details of people passed on the day under Alpha's care will be displayed, and they will be remembered without any rich-poor divide. Alpha is a legal entity under the Alpha Charitable Trust and comprises of trustees Noordeen and Thahira Noordeen. Hugely popular comedian and former Lok Sabha member Innocent, a cancer patient himself, is a supporter of Alpha. /IANS