New Delhi, Nov 25 : Integrating palliative care into the public health system can help universalise access and improve healthcare, according to a study.

Palliative care is a branch of medicine that aims to prevent and relieve the physical, social, and spiritual suffering of patients suffering from chronic life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers.

The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as â??an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illnessâ??.

The study showed that nearly 7-10 million people require palliative care in India, but less than 4 per cent have access to it.

"With rising burden of chronic diseases in the country and associated suffering, there is an urgent need to improve access to palliative care from the public health system," Parth Sharma, Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, told IANS.

The study led by the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), Pune, aimed to assess the geographical accessibility of palliative care in India and estimate changes in accessibility based on its delivery from different levels of the public health system.

Their analysis, published in ecancermedicalscience, showed that in 2022, India had 526 palliative care centres, with a density of four per 10 million population.

The highest densities were in Lakshadweep, Goa, and Kerala. The median (IQR) travel time to the nearest palliative care centers was 118 (71, 179) minutes, and 23.6 per cent, 39.8 per cent, and 71 per cent of people lived within 30, 60, and 120 minutes, respectively.

Rural areas had worse access than urban areas, with considerable variation across states.

While states like Kerala and Chandigarh had near-universal access, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar had much lower coverage.

Notably, access improved significantly when palliative care was integrated into all levels of the healthcare system, stated the study.

The researchers stated that once the existing public health infrastructure is equipped with palliative care services, access to the ones in rural areas can be improved.

â??Access to palliative care in India is limited, especially in rural areas. Expanding integration with the public health system could enhance access, ensuring more equitable care nationwide,â?? the researchers said.

/IANS