Manipal Hospice and Respite Centre will increase beds to 100 next year: says MAHE Pro-Chancellor

Manipal Hospice and Respite Center (MHRC), managed by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), has planned to increase the number of beds from the present 40 to 100 in 2027, according to H.S. Ballal, Pro-Chancellor, MAHE.

Addressing presspersons in Manipal on Tuesday, he said: “In 2026, MHRC plans to expand to 65 beds with special emphasis on neuropalliative care.” MHRC, which completed its first year of clinical services last month, is a specialised healthcare facility providing hospice, end-of-life, respite, rehabilitative, and supportive care freely for people living with serious and life-limiting illnesses. Its multidisciplinary, patient- and family-centred approach addresses medical, nursing, physical, psychological, and social needs, Dr. Ballal said.

Inaugurated in April 2025, MHRC began admitting patients in September 2025. Starting with 10 operational beds, the centre has expanded to 40 beds and has cared for 694 patients and supported over 1,300 family caregivers in its first year, with services provided free of charge, he said.

Admission to MHRC is through the outpatient clinic of the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, KMC Manipal, he said.

MHRC is not an old-age home, but a specialised healthcare facility providing professional medical, nursing, palliative, rehabilitative, and supportive care. Alongside clinical services, MAHE and MHRC are developing education, training, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen palliative care skills among healthcare professionals, he said.

Sharath K Rao, Vice-Chancellor, MAHE, said that a person’s dignity, including dignity at the end of life, should never be compromised simply because they cannot afford care.

“Much of the existing knowledge and many models of palliative care have emerged from Western settings. Through MHRC, we want to understand and develop what works in the context of India and Southeast Asia. We will address training needs in palliative care, equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills required to deliver this care, and develop practical, replicable models that other institutions can adapt,” Dr. Rao said.

Seema R. Rao, Director and Consultant in Palliative Medicine, MHRC, said that palliative care is not about giving up. It is about adding comfort and dignity to every day in a patient’s life.