Dr. Louis, Founder of India’s first Hospice, Shanti Avedna Sadan, interacts with Ten News, throws light on Hospices

New Delhi, (26/5/2019): In India, the concept of hospices and care centres for terminally-ill patients is fairly unexplored. One such centre dedicated to providing care to terminally-ill patients is Shanti Avedna Sadan in South Delhi near Safdarjung Hospital. The centre terms itself as a home for continuing care of cancer patients.

It was founded by Dr Louis Jose de Souza 33 years ago. Shanti Avedna Sadan has centres in Mumbai and Goa as well. With an aim to provide comfort and do everything to make the death of an individual due to the disease of cancer, peaceful.

Ten News reached the centre situated in Safdarjung Enclave of South Delhi to know about the Hospice system in India and the care Shanti Avedna Sadan provide to its patients.

While interacting with Ten News, Founder of the Shanti Avedna Sadan, Dr. Louis Jose de Souza, said “the centre’s motto is to provide comfort and make sure that patients pass away calmly. We have terminally-ill cancer patients, so we know we have to do everything to make their journey peaceful. Once we have the patient, we do everything possible. We find their families, we help the family also understand the emotional needs of the patients. This place is not a hospital, we take care of the patients the way the family members would do”.

Talking about his experience Dr. Louis said, “the Sadan has seen patients going through stages of grief very closely. Mostly, when the patients are admitted to our Sadan, they are in the initial stages of grief. They are angry, so it is very difficult for the family to understand and cope with them. We help them in every possible way to get past all stages of grief and finally accept the truth.

“We all have dedicated our lives to this cause. We draw our energy from the peace and comfort we see on the patient’s face when they pass away”.

Throwing a light on Hospices he said, “Hospice center is referred to as the place that provides end-of-life care to patients. At hospice, a team of health care professionals and volunteers provide care that focuses on palliation of seriously ill patients. They provide psychological, spiritual and medical support to the patient”.

Talking to a social worker and a member of the Shanti Avedna who is connected to it for the last 25 years Aditya Ghildyal said, “The aim of hospice is to help diseased patients, who have less period of life span remaining, to have comfort, peace and dignity. In the starting there was no concept of Hospice in India, people and their families suffer in pain and grief. Here in hospice they get the love they want and counselling of what is destined”.

“One of the patients i heard saying that if ‘there is a heaven on earth then its here at Shanti Avedna”, he added.

The Shanti Avedna Sadan is entirely a non-governmental voluntary organization, run by a Charitable Trust and treats its patients FREE OF COST. This year Shanti Avedna Sadan will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in Delhi. The Shanti Avedna Sadan is India’s first Hospice, an institution that takes care of the advanced terminally ill Cancer patients. It is neither a hospital nor a home, but is in fact both, offering the specialized care of a hospital together with the love of a home.