Delhi : Apollo Home Healthcare, India’s leading home healthcare provider, has announced the launch of its pioneering ‘Integrated Palliative Care at Home’ program in Delhi, in association with Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, Delhi. The initiative will soon be extended to the newly launched Apollo Athenaa, a dedicated center for cancer care for women in Delhi, and will roll out across other major cities to address India’s growing need for accessible, quality palliative care at home.
Palliative care is a specialized medical care for people living with serious, life-limiting illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness, with the goal of improving quality of life for both the patient and their family.
India’s rising burden of chronic illnesses such as cancer, end-stage organ failure, and neurodegenerative conditions has created an urgent need for holistic palliative care services. Despite an estimated 5.4 million people annually requiring such care, less than 2% currently receive it. Apollo’s integrated model bridges this gap by delivering comprehensive, home-based palliative care led by experienced physicians and supported by specially trained nurses, counsellors, and physiotherapists.
Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar, Pain and Palliative Care Consultant, Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, said, “In palliative care, the most profound difference comes from meeting patients where they feel safest, at home. This program ensures that pain management, symptom relief, and compassionate 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.”
Key features of the Integrated Palliative Care at Home program includes
• Personalised care plans for patients with terminal illnesses
• Expert pain and symptom management
• Emotional, psychological, and spiritual support for patients and families
• Home visits and virtual consultations by a dedicated multidisciplinary team
Receiving care at home not only enhances comfort but also helps families avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, emergency visits, and ICU stays, resulting in reduced stress and significant cost savings.
Dr. Sai Kumar, Head-Medical Services, Apollo Home Healthcare, added, “Through this integrated palliative care program, we are bridging critical gaps by bringing hospital-level expertise directly to patients’ homes. From advanced pain and symptom management to emotional and spiritual counselling, our multidisciplinary teams ensure every patient receives dignified, holistic care tailored to their needs. This initiative will help prevent avoidable hospital visits, lower healthcare costs, and greatly improve quality of life for patients and their families.”
Mr. Vishal Lathwal, CEO, Apollo Home Healthcare, said, “With this launch in Delhi, in partnership with Apollo Indraprastha Hospital and plans to extend it to the newly launched Apollo Athenaa, we are setting a new benchmark for home-based palliative care for cancer and chronic illnesses. India’s changing disease landscape demands care models that place the patient and their family at the center – offering not just medical support, but also convenience, continuity and compassion. Through this program, we aim to skill caregivers to meet the complex physical and emotional needs of patients, while supporting families every step of the way – ensuring that palliative care is not just available, but truly humane and dignified.”
Following its launch in Delhi, Apollo plans to expand its integrated home-based palliative care model to major metros, with a roadmap for tier-2 locations as well.
The program will leverage cutting-edge remote monitoring, AI-powered alerts, and predictive care models to enable proactive interventions. Simultaneously, Apollo is advocating for policy inclusion of palliative care in insurance and public health schemes and is committed to raising awareness to de-stigmatize palliative care and promote its early adoption.
