Published on: January 29, 2024

Dr Jenifer Jeba S (Professor and Head, Department of Palliative Medicine, Christian Medical College Vellore) writes:

Vellore now has a hospice facility, beside the busy Chennai-Bangalore Highway, 11 kilometers from Christian Medical College, Vellore. This is a beacon of care and hope for individuals with serious illness in Vellore and nearby areas. Ida B. Scudder hospice is set up in collaboration between Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore and Sneha Deepam Society. This facility was dedicated on 20^th January 2024. This is a 15-bedded facility which will scale up in future.

Embracing the philosophy of holistic care, the center will provide dedicated palliative and hospice care services including pain and symptom management, psychosocial, spiritual, financial, and practical support to patients facing serious health-related suffering and their families. The hospice facility will help in providing dignified and compassionate care to people in distress, including those who are underprivileged and marginalized in society. This will be a huge support to distressed family caregivers who are unable to care for their loved ones at home in a way they want to for different reasons.

The palliative care team at CMC Vellore is committed to provide compassionate holistic care to all who need and enable them to continue to live with dignity and hope.