K Suresh Kumar, founder of Kozhikode-based Institute of Palliative Medicin
In 1993, when K Suresh Kumar began advocating palliative care in Kerala, few knew about the concept and organised services for patients with life-limiting illnesses were almost non-existent. What began as the work of a handful of individuals has since evolved into one of the world’s most widely recognised community-based palliative care models.Kumar founded the Kozhikode-based Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM) to ensure people could access palliative care regardless of their economic or social circumstances.Today, in Kerala palliative care reaches nearly 60 per cent of those in need, compared with less than 2 per cent nationally. The model has been replicated in several regions outside Kerala, and the IPM conducts training programmes for participants from around 60 countries, including high-income countries like Japan and Singapore.Kumar’s contribution to making palliative care affordable, sustainable and community-driven recently earned him the prestigious WHO South-East Asia Regional Award for Public Health Champions.Globally, palliative care has traditionally been associated with hospitals, specialised institutions and trained medical professionals. Kerala gradually moved away from that model, taking care into homes and neighbourhoods, and making communities an integral part of the care system, he says.Two features distinguish Kerala’s approach. The first is placing the primary responsibility for palliative care at the local government level rather than leaving it entirely within the healthcare system. The second is recognising that ordinary members of the community can make an important contribution to caring for people with serious illnesses.The State now has more than 1,750 palliative care units at the grassroots level. Around 1,100 are run by local self-government institutions, about 500 by civil society organisations, and nearly 150 by political parties, which is rather unique globally.“I was formally trained in palliative care in the United Kingdom, within an institution-based model. Even then, it was clear that the models developed in high-income countries would not readily suit the realities of countries like India, although the way forward was less clear,” he says.One of the biggest challenges Kumar faced was in convincing people that palliative care could not be confined to clinical medicine. Care for the seriously ill was traditionally regarded as the responsibility of doctors, nurses and hospitals. But patients living with chronic and life-limiting illnesses often require much more than medical intervention. They need help with daily activities, emotional support, social interaction and dignity at the end of life.The biggest gaps today, he says, are in quality assurance, consistency and standardisation of services, and equitable coverage across different geographical areas. Addressing these shortcomings will require stronger policies, sustainable funding and systematic capacity building across both community-based and professional systems.Published on September 7, 2026
