State – wise data on elderly population states that Kerala has maximum proportion of elderly people in its population (12.6 per cent) followed by Goa (11.2 per cent) 

Recent surveys and statistics showed an alarming increase in Hypertension, Diabetes Ischemic Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer etc. Road Traffic Accidents are also increasing in the recent years. All these Non Communicable Diseases contributes to high morbidity & mortality.  So, there is increase need for palliative care in the State of Goa.

Service Provision:

No. of districts implementing the programme – 2

• North Goa – Goa Medical College & Hospital
• South Goa – Hospicio Hospital

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Service Provision at Goa Medical College – 

• Oncology Dept. in Goa Medical College is providing palliative care services to cancer patients in OPD set-up
• OPD services are available thrice weekly 
• Daily OPD load is approximately 50 – 60 Patients and  there are around 100 new patients of cancer cases seen every month

• Patients requiring in-patient facility are referred to peripheral health facilities

Service Provision at Hospicio Hospital, Margao – 

Under the NPPC, Pain & Palliative Care OPD is conducted at Hospicio Hospital, Margao on every Tuesday

Home visits are also conducted by the team of Palliative care from Hospicio Hospital

• Medical Officer
• Staff Nurse
• Naturopathy Physician
• Physiotherapist

The training on Palliative care of the Medical Officers and Staff Nurse of both District Hospitals and peripheral health facilities was conducted at 10 day Foundation course on Palliative Care in collaboration with NGO Dilasa.  

A total of 96 OPD patients were seen in the Palliative Care OPD from August 2019 to June 2020. Home visits conducted were 23. In addition, counseling of the patients is done on nutrition and bereavement counseling. Medications such as analgesics, fentanyl patches etc. are available in the Palliative Care OPD.