Media Release
Udupi, Sep 21: 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, advanced cancer, stroke, motor neuron disease and other progressive neurological illnesses, advanced heart disease, chronic lung disease, and advanced kidney or liver disease.
Patient 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.
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 the 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.
Dr Seema R Rao, director and consultant in Palliative Medicine at MHRC, said, “Palliative care is often mistaken as care only for the final stage of illness. In truth, it can be provided at any stage of illness, ensuring that no patient faces a serious illness in pain, in fear, or alone. 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. That every one of them received this care totally free of cost is not charity on our part; it is the very principle on which MHRC stands.”
Dr Naveen Salins, chair, MHRC Working Committee, said, “Hospice care is not only about the final days of life. It is about helping people with serious illness live as comfortably and meaningfully as possible, while supporting families who carry much of the responsibility of care. MHRC brings specialist palliative care, respite care and end-of-life care together so that patients and families receive the right care at the time they need it most.”
Dr Sharath Kumar Rao K, vice chancellor, MAHE, said, “MHRC reflects what MAHE has always believed that an institution is measured not merely by the illnesses it cures, but by the compassion it extends when a cure is no longer possible. That we could keep our doors open to every family free of cost and grow from 15 beds to 40 in a single year has been made possible only by the generous hands that joined ours. I place on record our deep gratitude to Harish Shan, chairperson of the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation, and to the many philanthropists, well-wishers, and corporate partners who came forward and ensured that this care reached every patient, with not a single rupee changing hands. One year is behind us; a much larger journey lies ahead, and we invite the community to walk it with us.”
As MHRC enters its second year, it plans to expand its capacity in phases while strengthening hospice, respite, rehabilitation, family and bereavement care. Its promise remains simple: even when cure is no longer possible, there is always something more that can be done, to relieve suffering, support families, celebrate life and preserve dignity.