Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre completes a year, supports 694 patients

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre is set on a 12-acre campus, 4.4 km from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre (MHRC), a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), has completed one year of patient care, supporting 694 patients and more than 1,300 family caregivers, with all services provided free of cost.

Conceived as a pioneering initiative of MAHE, MHRC was established with a simple purpose: no person with an incurable or life-limiting illness, and no family caring for them, should be denied comfort and support.

The centre admits people with serious, progressive illnesses like cancer, stroke, motor neuron disease and other progressive neurological illnesses, advanced heart disease, chronic lung disease, and advanced kidney or liver disease. Patients may be admitted when they need palliative care, hospice care, end-of-life care, respite or rehabilitative care. Admission may be needed for difficult symptoms such as pain or breathlessness, increasing dependence, support at the end of life, or short-term respite when families need a break from continuous caregiving, a MAHE release said on Monday.

At MHRC, under one roof, round-the-clock care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialist palliative care physicians, nurses, counsellors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, spiritual care providers, and trained volunteers who address physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. Families are an important part of care at MHRC. They receive counselling, practical guidance and emotional support during the illness. That support continues after the death of a loved one through bereavement care.

Set on a 12-acre campus, 4.4 km from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, MHRC is designed for comfort, dignity, and accessibility. Open courtyards, natural light, fresh air and greenery create a calm environment. The campus is barrier-free, with wide corridors and easy movement for wheelchairs, walking aids and hospital beds.

Life continues to be celebrated at MHRC. Festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, and family occasions are celebrated with patients and their loved ones. These moments remind patients that serious illness does not take away their place in the family, their relationships or their right to joy and connection.

Since beginning patient care on September 1, 2025, MHRC has grown from 15 beds to 40 beds and intends to increase its capacity to 100 beds in the coming years, MAHE said.

Seema R. Rao, director and consultant in Palliative Medicine at MHRC, said: “In our very first year, 694 patients and their families have taught us that even when we cannot add days to a life, we can add comfort, meaning, and dignity to each day.