Media Release

Udupi, Aug 11: Shirdisai Baba Cancer Hospital, Kasturba Hospital Complex Manipal, now offers full-fledged palliative care services with Dr Naveen Salins joining the institution as fulltime professor of Palliative Medicine Department.

"Only about 5% of needy patients have access to palliative care in India," says Dr Naveen

Shirdisai Baba Cancer Hospital offers medical, surgical and radiotherapy treatment for cancer patinets and is equipped with the only stereotactic radio surgwery facility in the coastal region.

Dr Naveen Salins was functioning as associate professor of palliative medicine at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai for the past five years. Dr Naveen completed the clinical fellowship in palliative medicine Lyell McEwin Hospital in South Australia.

Dr Avinash Shetty medical superintendent Kasturba Hospital, Manipal said, “Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness like cancer, chronic heart failure, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease etc, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and treatment of pain and also the physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues. This team usually consists of palliative medicine specialists, oncologists, nurses, counsellors, dieticians and social workers who work together to maintain the best possible quality of life of patients.