My Experience at Snehanchal Hospice, Nagpur
By Dr. Manasi Joshi
I was deeply honoured to be invited as a speaker for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2025 at Snehanchal Hospice, Nagpur. My sincere gratitude goes to Ms. Sunanda, Regional Facilitator, Pallium India, for introducing me to this remarkable institution.
Visiting Snehanchal was truly a heart-warming and life-changing experience. I joined their home care team during visits in underprivileged localities and witnessed their compassionate service to terminally ill cancer patients. At the satellite OPD, I observed the high prevalence of head and neck cancers among young individuals and learned about Snehanchal’s impressive door-to-door cancer survey initiative aimed at identifying and supporting patients in need.
Spending time with caregivers in the wards and seeing the dedicated nursing sisters provide meticulous wound care to maggot-infested lesions left a lasting impression. Their empathy and commitment to their work is truly commendable.
The next day, I delivered a talk on ‘Integration of Palliative Care in Family Practice.’ The session was attended by heads of various medical and nursing departments and generated an engaging discussion. I shared my journey as a family physician providing home visits to bedridden and terminally ill patients, supporting caregivers, and helping prevent isolated deaths in ICUs through community-based palliative interventions.
In line with this year’s theme — ‘Keeping the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care’ — I emphasized the need to propagate palliative care through networking, both personal and digital. I also highlighted my efforts in raising public awareness through community lectures, newspaper articles, and collaborations with local institutions.
A highlight of the event was sharing the dais with Mr. Jimmy Rana, Founder of Snehanchal. His humility and genuine concern — especially when he asked, “What more can we do for Snehanchal?” — deeply moved me.
I felt like a part of a large, caring family, receiving immense warmth from everyone — Ms. Dolly, the caretaker; Mr. Suman Bose, who coordinated my visit; and Mrs. Devayani, who guided me and shared valuable insights.
Left in photo: Dr Manasi with Mr Jimmy Rana, the Founder & Managing Trustee of Snehaanchal Cancer PCC, Nagpur
I felt like a part of a large, caring family, receiving immense warmth from everyone — Ms. Dolly, the caretaker; Mr. Suman Bose, who coordinated my visit; and Mrs. Devayani, who guided me and shared valuable insights.
The event received wide coverage in local newspapers, reflecting the growing recognition of palliative care efforts. I sincerely thank Snehanchal Hospice and Sunanda for this memorable opportunity. I believe such collaborations and networking will go a long way in promoting and strengthening palliative care across India.
Dr. Manasi Joshi, a General Physician with over two decades of experience, is deeply committed to integrating palliative care into community practice. Trained through the IAPC Certification Course and Cipla Palliative Care & Training Centre, she further honed her skills at Pallium India in 2023. She now leads the Sobati Geriatric Palliative Care OPD in Pune, a collaborative initiative with Pallium India.
Leave a Reply