“Only a heart that feels suffering of fellow beings as its own can bring true solace,” said writer Sara Joseph, addressing a gathering at a World Hospice and Palliative Care Day event organised by the Pain & Palliative Care Society, Thrissur, on Saturday.
“Empathy — the ability to perceive another’s sorrow — is a virtue that every human being must nurture. Society has long delayed a serious conversation about the right to a peaceful death,” she said.
Speaking at the function held at the Changampuzha Hall of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, E. Divakaran, co-founder of the Pain & Palliative Care Society, Thrissur, elaborated on this year’s global theme, ‘Achieving the promise: universal access to palliative care.’
He said palliative care offered comprehensive support for people suffering from severe illnesses or age-related conditions, as well as for their families. “Kerala continues to lead the nation in extending palliative care, thanks largely to the active involvement of the younger generation,” Dr. Divakaran said.
“Only through community participation and by integrating palliative care into every layer of patient-centred health-care can we realise the vision of palliative care for all,” he added.
Published – October 11, 2025 08:27 pm IST
