Overview
Sparsh Hospice established in September 2011 is an initiative of Rotary Club of Banjara Hills (District RI 3150) under a separately constituted Trust named as Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust. Sparsh Hospice is a Centre for Palliative Care for terminally ill cancer patients.
When the ‘treatment to cure’ is no longer effective, patients opt for hospice care, where the curative care is of low importance, whereas making the remaining life of the patient better is the main agenda. Palliative care helps in moderating physical pain and emotional sorrow by making it easier to bear for the patient. It is a special care that helps ‘alleviate pain without curing’.
At Sparsh Hospice palliative care is provided by a team of qualified doctors, nurses, caregivers and counsellorsto ensure better symptom management and care for terminal patients suffering from end stage cancer. The medical team provides necessary medication and treatment to the patients which helps in reducing pain and the commonly occurring side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, vomiting, loose motions and lack of appetite etc.
The caregivers at Sparsh provide care services to the overall person and not just the disease. The patients feel better when their symptoms and problems are resolved through physical, spiritual, social or psychological care. In addition to above, Sparsh team also provides support to the patient’s family members by offering emotional support through counselling to prepare them to accept the imminent departure of their loved ones. This kind of extended support to family is generally not available in hospitals.
Sparsh Hospice is a 14 bed facility, where 12 beds are for inpatients and 2 for outpatients.Since its inception, Sparsh has provided palliative care services to over 3000 Patients (as on Sept 2020). These include service to inpatients, home care and outpatients.
All services at Sparsh Hospice are provided absolutely free of cost, no hidden charges, no surprises. Free services include accommodation and food, medical professional services, equipment and pharmaceutical goods, hygiene and sanitation products etc. used in treatments given to patients. All expenses are borne by Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust with the help of cash and in-kind donations received from individuals, philanthropists, educational & medical institutions and corporate houses in India and the US.
All donations received in India by the Trust are eligible for tax exemption under sections 12A and 80G and all US donations are tax exempt under section 501 (c)(3). The Trust also has a FCRA account to directly receive all foreign contributions.
Our Vision
Our Mission
- To render differential palliative care service to add value and provide comfort in the end-of-life days of terminally ill patients.
To organise and execute awareness programmes on palliative care in communities across the state and beyond. - To encourage and facilitate practical training in palliative care among healthcare professionals serving critical and terminal patients.
- To help facilitate study and research on palliative care and hospice centres.
- To provide care and compassion by holding hands and addressing patients with utmost dignity and respect and offer them ‘a serene and dignified departure’ from this world.
- To permanently get onboard and collaborate with noted philanthropists, corporations and foundations to help fulfill our vision.
Our Team
Our palliative care services are provided by a skilled multidisciplinary team of specialist doctors, nurses, social workers, ancillary staff and allied health professionals. Service support is extended by administrative staff, volunteers, management and project staff. The team works across all healthcare settings – inpatients, home-care, and outpatient consultation unit – to minimize patient suffering by providing pain and symptom management care. The team is headed by our CEO Mr. Ram Mohan Rao. With a commendable career spanning over 4 decades, Mr. Mohan Rao brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Admin, Legal, Human Rights & Community Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility in Public Sector Banking and MNCs.
Our Doctors provide specialist medical palliative care, and work hand-in-hand with other members of the palliative care team.
Our nurses are trained for rendering palliative care services. They have expertise and experience to focus on enhancing quality of life for people living their end of life days and to support their families. Their role includes comprehensive assessment and management of pain and associated symptoms.
Our Counsellors, Social Workers and Caregivers support and counsel patients and their families as they experience a range of emotions – fear, anxiety, anger, sadness and many others. Assistance provided includes counselling and support in a range of areas as acceptance of illness, change in lifestyle, maintaining relationships with long distance relatives and friends via phone and video calls, managing emotions like anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear of losing a loved one.