KT Rama Rao lays Foundation Stone for 50 bedded Palliative Care Center

Hyderabad, June 22, 2017: K.T.Rama Rao, Minister for Information Technology, Municipal Administration and Industries, Govt. of Telangana laid foundation stone today for 50 bedded Palliative Care Center here in city today at Khajaguda on Nanakramguda Road in Sherlingampally Mandal

The new center will come up in one acre land which Government of Telangana allocated to Sparsh Hospice on 33years lease.

Speaking on the occasion immediately laying the foundation stone KT Rama Rao responding to appreciation showered on him for getting the land allocated at a record time, said on a jovial note, the praise was so much it looked like a retirement function for me. And let me state here that I don’t have any plans to retire in immediate future.

He appreciated the persuasive spirit of the Board of Trustees of Sparsh Hospice in pursuing for the land allocation for the construction of the 50 bedded hospital. However fast we politicians want to do, we cannot do some times, because of bureaucracy who considers us as guest artists, because they believe that we are in power only five years and they remain in office till their retirement. That is why some times works do not happen as fast as we wanted even if Chief Minister also instructs. We too feel strongly to live upto our promises and get ‘shahbas’ from you by keeping up our promises. But, sometimes because of the bureaucracy we fail to do so. Bureaucrats respond and treat us too differently. If they know that the party is going to come back to power, the treatment is different, if not, the treatment is different, he said on a lighter note.

Speaking earlier Vara Prasad Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Shantha Biotechnics and Governing Board Member of Sparsh Hospice sought government intervention to ease out the stringent rules laid down in usage of Narcotic Drugs in Cancer Pain Management and using drugs like Fentanyl Patches. Fentanyl Patch when used on the body reduces pain for 72 hours.

Because of stringent rules, it has been taking months of time for the medicine to reach to the patients. Though companies are able to manufacture pain management drugs with the help of the modern technology, they are unable to reach the patients in time. And they are dying due to pain. We fought with Central Government for eight years to ease these rules and got a GO sanctioned, advising state governments to follow the same procedure. Though some states like UP, Kerala, Maharashtra simplified the rules, Telugu states have not done much. For which KT Rama Rao asked they to circulate the orders of the states which have simplified the rules. And he assured that Telangana state too would pass GO in helping manufactures reach patients in time and mitigate their pain. KT Rama Rao assured his total support in this regard and I will stand by you to help the government change the law, he told them

Palliative care is extremely close to my heart. Government alone cant do. Governments lack in care like this. I hope that more palliate care facilities come in the state.

Speaking further, KTR declared that Telangana has been the fastest growing state in revenues.

Dr. Vara Prasad Reddy donated rupees one crore, Prabhakar Rao and Kusuma Kumari, the couple donated Rs 25 lakhs in the loving memory of their son Sridhar, who died of cancer in 2014 towards the construction of new facility. The new facility will come at a cost of Rs 7crore, which will be raised through donations. Dr. Ramesh Babu, Chairman of Rainbow Hospitals donated Rs 30crore towards medical equipment. According Mr.
Raghunandan Rao, Collector of Ranga Reddy District speaking on the occasion said, we are slowly moving towards ageing population. By 2025, 7.5 per of our population will be over 65years. Government has not really looked in palliative care. A PPP model like this one is a win-win, he observed.

Dr. Varaprasad Reddy, Dr. M. Subrahmanyam, founder trustee and Dr. Pranathi Reddy, President of Rotary Club of Banajara Hills spoke on the occasion.

Dr. Pranathi Reddy said it is a first of its kind purpose build customized facility. It will be a green facility. Not a single tree would be cut in the construction of the facility. It will offer peace, joy and contentment to its inmates, she informed. It will be a totally protocol driven facility. We will set up palliative care facilities in other districts as well, she sated.

Sparsh Hospice is the state’s first hospice and palliative care center. Sparash Hospice is the Palliative Care Center which is an initiative of Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust to expand and set up 50 bedded Hospice centre for free service for the terminally ill cancer patients in the allocated land.

Sparsh Hospice is currently located in a rental place in Road No. 12, Banajara Hills is a 12 bedded facility and is the first Hospice in our state. Palliative care at Sparsh involves physical, emotional and spiritual care, with a team of trained doctors, nursing staff, physiotherapists, counselors and spiritual guides. And this is the free service. It also provides home care services. Till date it has given service to more than 800 in patients free of cost and more than 350 home visits.

It spends little over Rs 5 lakh to run the facility each month. All these funds are mobilized through the donations from individual philanthropists and corporate under CSR initiatives

Telangana Government accepted the request made by the Rotary Club of Banjara Hills Charitable Trust which runs the hospice center to allocate Government Land on lease basis to set up 50 bedded Hospice & Palliative Care Centre to serve the needy.

The Ranga Reddy District administration allocated the land in Khajaguda village in Sherlingampally mandal on lease basis for a period of 33years at Rs 1 per square yard per annum on certain conditions.

The administration of Sparsh Hospice made an appeal to KT. Rama Rao for the land in October last. Consequent to the same, Ranga Reddy District collectorate made a recommendation, which was approved by the Telangana State Land Management Authority(TSLMA)

Each year in Hyderabad nearly 12,000 patients are at a terminal stage of cancer. More palliative care is required. Only 0. 5 Per cent of the population gets the benefit from palliative care and relief.

It is a known fact that Cancer is on the rise in our Country and according to WHO, 1 in 4 Cancer patients in the world are from India. About 10, 00,000 cases (ten lakhs) of Cancer are diagnosed in India each year and of this number, about 12,000 per year are from Hyderabad alone. It is also well known that more than 70% of Cancer patients are at an advanced stage at diagnosis itself.

Once the cancer is termed as ‘Terminal’ it means that the life of that patient will end soon and no curative treatment is possible. Hence in this stage, it is deemed fit to concentrate in improving the quality of life and lessening the suffering rather than trying to prolong life with toxic treatments. This is the concept of ‘palliative Care’. A hospice is a place where patients with terminal illnesses are provided palliative care.

Sparsh Hospice was started by the enthusiastic members of the Rotary Club of Banjara Hills

According to Mr. Ram mohan Rao, CEO of Sparsh Hospice, the construction for the 50 bedded Hospice centre will be completed fast.

The aim of this free palliative care is to help patients in the final stages of cancer to embrace death without regrets. A team of volunteers and doctors help ease excruciating pain, anxiety and depression that afflict patients, if not cure them completely.

Seeing the service of the Sparsh Hospice, Shri K.T. Rama Rao on his visit to the facility in October 2016 on the eve of World Hospice and Palliative Care, moved and donated Rs 5 lakh towards monthly maintenance and assured the land allotment and he kept up his promise. The entire management of Sparsh Hospice thanked Shri KT. Rama Rao for the kind gesture of the Government.

KT. Rama Rao assured them in October 2016 that the present hospice would be in the new premises by next Dussehra and he kept up his promise. Now that the required land is allocated, we need to channelize our resources and start work on the construction informed Ram Mohan Rao, the CEO of Sparsh Hospice, the construction will begin soon and will be completed in one year time. We have already got donations and want more to come forward and donate for this noble cause, he said.

Death is inevitable. But, death has to be dignified and painless. Any service rendered to terminally ill patients is very laudable said KT Rama Rao when he visited the facility in last October, 2016.

It is estimated that 10 lakh patients are diagnosed with cancer each year in India and an estimated 70% patients are in advance stages of the disease. Only a tiny minority of 0.5 per cent have access to palliative care and pain relief informed Sparsh Hospice Trustees: Dr. Pranathi Reddy, M. Suresh Reddy, Dr. M. Subrahmanyam, Anup Agarwal, Ramana and others.