Apollo Home Healthcare has launched its ‘Integrated Palliative Care at Home’ programme in Delhi, in collaboration with Apollo Indraprastha Hospital. This initiative aims to deliver high-quality palliative care services within the comfort of patients’ homes. The program will also extend to Apollo Athenaa, the recently launched centre for women’s cancer care in Delhi, with plans to scale to other major Indian cities in the near future.
Addressing the Gaps in India’s Palliative Care Landscape
India has approximately 5.4 million individuals in need of palliative care every year. However, less than 2% currently receive it. Apollo’s new home-based model seeks to bridge this gap by providing comprehensive clinical, emotional, and logistical support directly at patients’ residences.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a specialised branch of medicine that supports individuals with serious, life-limiting conditions. It focuses on managing pain and symptoms, while also addressing psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs—ultimately enhancing quality of life for both patients and their families.
Personalised, Home-Based Support
The Integrated Palliative Care at Home programme offers a wide range of services, including:
- Individualised care plans for patients with terminal illnesses
- Expert pain and symptom management
- Emotional, psychological, and spiritual counselling for both patients and caregivers
- Home visits and virtual consultations from a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and counsellors
As reported by Express Healthcare, this approach not only ensures continuity of care but also reduces the need for emergency care, hospital admissions, and ICU stays, thereby lowering healthcare costs and easing the burden on families.
Expert Voices Emphasise the Value of Care at Home
Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar, Pain and Palliative Care Consultant at Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, highlighted the value of home-based care:
“In palliative care, the most profound difference comes from meeting patients where they feel safest—at home. This program ensures that pain relief and emotional support are delivered seamlessly beyond hospital walls. It empowers families to care for their loved ones with dignity, while being guided by an expert team every step of the way.”
A Multidisciplinary Model to Enhance Quality of Life
Dr. Sai Kumar, Head of Medical Services at Apollo Home Healthcare, further explained:
“Through this integrated palliative care program, we bring hospital-level expertise directly to patients’ homes. Our multidisciplinary teams provide advanced symptom management, along with emotional and spiritual support, ensuring each patient receives dignified and personalised care. This reduces unnecessary hospital visits and improves quality of life.”
Redefining Home-Based Care for Chronic and Terminal Illnesses
Vishal Lathwal, CEO of Apollo Home Healthcare, shared the broader vision:
“With this launch in Delhi and our partnership with Apollo Athenaa, we are setting a new benchmark for home-based palliative care in India. As the disease burden shifts, care models must evolve to place the patient and their family at the center. Our program not only delivers medical support, but also promotes convenience, compassion, and continuity of care. We also aim to skill caregivers so they can meet the complex needs of patients at home—ensuring that palliative care is not just accessible, but deeply humane and dignified.”