Who We Are
But the patient and family need professional help to support them through this challenging phase of their lives; and that’s when palliative care can make all the difference.
Palliative care provides pain and symptom relief and emotional comfort. It assists with daily nursing needs. It provides counselling to patient and family who are but naturally going through enormous emotional trauma. And it helps the caregiver to learn how to manage the patient and what to do in times of crises. Palliative care is team work and is delivered by a multidisciplinary team with different experts working together to provide holistic relief i.e. specially trained palliative care doctors, nurses and psycho-social counsellors.
The Jimmy S Bilimoria Foundation is a charitable trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trust Act 1950. The foundation’s service is called PALCARE. It was set up after the Bilimoria family saw how important it was to get medical and psycho-social help during the last phase of the life of the gentleman by the same name as the foundation. It was then that they felt the need to set up a service so that others after him would not need to face the same challenges.
Hence, PALCARE was launched in December 2015 to provide a much needed home-based, multidisciplinary, palliative care service for patients, primarily those in stage 3/stage 4 cancer, across the length and breadth of Greater Mumbai, so that patients with life limiting conditions, particularly cancer, may live a pain free, symptom-free, comfortable and dignified life, till the very end.
On 1 December 2015, PALCARE registered its first patient and there has been no looking back since. PALCARE enrolled its 3200th patient on 27 March 2024 and looks after 700 to 800 patients each year. At any given point of time PALCARE manages around 200 patients – all in the comfort of their homes.
PALCARE’s patients come from all socio-economic groups and all walks of life. And the service is 100% free.
We are guided by impeccable governing boards and advisory committees. Our medical team is highly trained in palliative medicine, dedicated to the task and committed to the cause. They come with a caring heart, as palliative care is a field for healthcare professionals with deep compassion.