Hyderabad : “Sparsh Hospice is the pride of Telangana. It is a unique institution rendering yeoman service to society and deserves every possible support and encouragement from the Government of Telangana,” said Shri Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Minister for Revenue, Housing, and Information & Public Relations, Government of Telangana, while addressing a gathering of around 200 people at Sparsh Hospice on Wednesday morning.
The occasion marked the 15th anniversary celebrations of Sparsh Hospice, commemorating 15 years of providing compassionate palliative and hospice care to patients with life-limiting illnesses, free of cost to the vast majority of its beneficiaries.
The Minister, along with Shri Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana; Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, AIG Hospitals; Dr. G. V. Rao, Director and Chief of Surgical Gastroenterology, AIG Hospitals; Dr. M. Subrahmanyam, Founder Trustee, Sparsh Hospice; Jagadish Babu Ramadugu, Founder Trustee, MD & CEO of Pragati Finserv; trustees, members of the Rotary Club of Banjara Hills and staff of Sparsh Hospice, participated in the celebrations.
It is heartening to note that, over its 15-year journey, Sparsh Hospice has served approximately 17,000 patients and their families, providing care and support without charging them.
The Minister unveiled the NABH accreditation plaque and presented the GuideStar India recognition to Sparsh Hospice.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy assured the institution of the government’s support in addressing its requirements, including water-related issues. He congratulated Sparsh Hospice on completing 15 years of service and achieving significant milestones, particularly becoming the first hospice in India to receive NABH accreditation.
“There are many people who have money, but not everyone has the mindset to serve others. The willingness to help people in need is the need of the hour. Sparsh Hospice is the pride of Telangana, and institutions such as this deserve all possible encouragement and support,” he said.
The Minister added that he had visited Sparsh Hospice three times in the past, as some of his relatives, including a follower, had benefited from its services. He appreciated the institution’s commitment to caring for people during some of the most difficult phases of their lives.
Shri Jayesh Ranjan commended Sparsh Hospice for maintaining high standards of quality despite providing services free of cost to most of its patients. He appreciated the institution’s commitment to continuous improvement and welcomed its new initiative, the Living Will Digital Vault: Preserving Your Medical Wishes with Dignity.
Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of AIG Hospitals, said that although he had heard a great deal about Sparsh Hospice and palliative care, this was his first visit to the institution. He expressed astonishment at the dedication with which the team cared for people in the final stages of life, without charging them for services.
He urged the Minister and the Government of Telangana to recognise the uniqueness of Sparsh Hospice and help project its work beyond the state, so that more people across the country could learn from its model.
“A hospice is as essential as a hospital. Patients in the final stages of life need empathy, compassion and dignity. The philanthropic work being done by Sparsh Hospice is unparalleled. Achieving NABH accreditation is not easy, particularly for a hospice that is the first in the country to receive this recognition,” he said.
Dr. M. Subrahmanyam, Founder Trustee of Sparsh Hospice, described the 15th anniversary as a historic milestone in the institution’s journey.
He said the NABH accreditation was an important recognition of the quality and standards of the hospice’s palliative care services.
Sparsh Hospice has become the first hospice in the country to receive accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI). The accreditation recognises healthcare organisations that meet established standards of patient safety and quality of care.
Sharing the institution’s journey, Dr. Subrahmanyam said Sparsh Hospice was established in 2011 by the Rotary Club of Banjara Hills in a rented premises on Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, with just 12 beds. At the time, awareness of hospice and palliative care was limited.
The institution subsequently moved to its present facility, an 82-bed centre constructed on government-leased land with donor contributions of approximately ₹15 crore.
Sparsh Hospice currently serves around 200 patients and has recently inaugurated a dedicated eight-bed neuro-palliative care unit. Nearly 90% of its patients receive services entirely free of cost, while the remaining 10%, who can afford to contribute, are charged nominal amounts to support the institution’s sustainability.
The hospice employs nearly 100 staff members and also provides home-based palliative care services. Its monthly operating expenditure is approximately ₹50 lakh, met largely through contributions from individuals, corporates and anonymous donors.
Sparsh Hospice has also collaborated with the Indian School of Business (ISB) to explore opportunities to scale up palliative care services within Hyderabad and beyond. In the areas of education and advocacy, the institution has trained 257 individuals in palliative care.
Jagadish Babu Ramadugu, Founder Trustee of Sparsh Hospice and MD & CEO of Pragati Finserv, explained the rationale behind the Living Will Digital Vault initiative.
He said Sparsh Hospice is now home to South India’s first Living Will Clinic, an initiative that began last year to provide a dedicated space for people to understand, discuss and document their healthcare wishes.
“We soon realised that awareness and accessibility were equally important in helping people make informed decisions about their future care. This led us to develop the Living Will Digital Vault in partnership with Microsoft—a secure, user-friendly platform designed to make creating, updating and accessing a Living Will simpler and more convenient,” he said.
The initiative is an important step towards promoting dignity, personal autonomy and peace of mind in end-of-life care by encouraging individuals to document their medical preferences in advance.
It was also announced that Sparsh Hospice had received the GuideStar India Platinum Certification for the 10th consecutive year and had been recognised among India’s Top 500 Credible Non-profits. The recognition highlights the institution’s continued commitment to transparency, accountability and credibility in the social sector.
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