Cipla Foundation, NIMHANS tie up to establish palliative care unit for neuro patients

Over the years Cipla has set up partnerships on a palliative care system with 29 such partners across 20 cities.

Cipla Foundation, NIMHANS set up palliative unit for neuro patients

Rumana Hamied with a patient at the Cipla Palliative Care & Training Centre, Pune. (Express Photo)

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Cipla Foundation in partnership with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) has set up a first-of-its-kind neuro-palliative care unit in Bengaluru. “This integrated unit has provided support to over 2,000 individuals with neurological conditions such as alzheimer’s, dementia, and parkinson’s, through in-patient, out-patient, home care services, and has also offered teleconsultation services to patients as well as their families and caregivers,” Rumana Hamied, Managing Trustee of Cipla Foundation told The Indian Express.

At this neuro-palliative care unit, a multidisciplinary team of medical and social work professionals provides comprehensive support to patients and their families, free of cost, as they navigate symptoms associated with progressive conditions.

These symptoms include challenges in movement, respiratory function, speech, swallowing, cognitive abilities and communication that patients may encounter during their treatment. In addition to medical care, the team extends emotional support to both patients and their families as they adapt to life with the disease and increasingly rely on external assistance. They conduct assessments of patients’ home environments, taking proactive measures to prepare for the disease’s progression. This unit also collaborates with the district mental health program and local palliative centres to ensure ongoing support and holistic care for patients.

“The goal of palliative care is to provide the best possible quality of life at every stage for all serious illnesses. This initiative reinforces our dedication to strengthen India’s palliative care ecosystem,” Hamied said.

The unit also collaboratively creates customised, home-based care plans tailored to individual needs, with the goal of preserving the highest attainable quality of life.

Over the years Cipla has set up partnerships on a palliative care system with 29 such partners across 20 cities.

“At NIMHANS,Director Dr Pratima Murthy reached out to us and we spoke about the need for neuropalliative care.

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There is an ageing population and we are seeing more and more degenerative illnesses like dementia, Parkinson’s disease and so on. So we decided lets’s start a palliative OPD,” Hamied recalled.

The managing trustee of CIPLA foundation now hopes to expand this concept of a neuro-palliative OPD across their paediatric palliative care centres as children also present with neurological illnesses Hamied also underlines the need for a palliative approach to medicine. “For medical personnel a six week online course (part time) can really help. All one needs is compassion and ethics. Palliative care is not attractive to any health care provider or practitioner but we are living longer as per studies . Our future plans include bringing as many people under the net – medical professionals, patients, families and so on. We need to step up awareness about palliative care,” Hamied said.

In a statement, Dr Murthy, Director, NIMHANS said that this initiative will go a long way in supporting patients with neurological conditions along with their families. “We are grateful to Cipla Foundation’s support to making palliative care accessible to patients who need it the most,” Dr Murthy said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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