Sundaram Medical Foundation (SMF) trustee and director Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan speaking at the annual academic conference of SMF in the city on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
Sundaram Medical Foundation (SMF) and Pallium India on Saturday organised the workshop, ‘An introduction to advance care planning and living wills’, as part of ‘Forum 2026’, SMF’s annual academic conference. During a panel discussion on the topic, Shireen Yarchu, research fellow, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, stressed the need to respect the dignity and autonomy of patients. “Advance care planning allows us to see the decisions around end of life, and the instruments to make decisions. India is ranked one of the worst countries to die in due to inadequate access to palliative care, hesitation to talk about death, and overemphasis on cure,” she said.Rituparna Padhy, senior research fellow (Health), Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, said that the right to die with dignity has to be implemented, and understanding the States’ involvement was among the main challenges. Roop Gursahani, consultant, Neurology and Neuropalliative care pioneer, stressed the need for all stakeholders to implement it. Meenakshi V.V., professor and head, Palliative Medicine, Cancer Institute, Adyar, said that palliative care was strategically placed to introduce the concept of advance care planning for patients who are facing life-limiting illness.Susovan Mitra, head of Critical Care Medicine, SMF, noted that palliative care should start early and the families should be involved in decision making.Manickavasagan, consultant, Anaesthesiology and deputy medical director, Academics, SMF, said a living will gives clarity and clear-cut dictation for a family.Ms. Yarchu and Ms. Padhy made a presentation on the right to die with dignity and the mechanism for advance medical directive (AMD) and setting up a living will clinic. A living will lists a person’s preferences for medical treatment, especially if he/she wants to refuse certain treatment.Addressing the gathering, Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, trustee and director, SMF, spoke about CANSTOP, an initiative through which they were providing cancer support to overcome pain. They were working with five government hospitals to provide support for patients with oral, breast, and cervical cancer. She also outlined “Dear Akka”, a digital health initiative that provides free Whatsapp-based health assistance covering health conditions including breast, cervical, ovarian cancers, and menopause-related concerns. Published - June 07, 2026 02:44 am IST
