In 2016, the KUHS had incorporated the principles of palliative care into the existing undergraduate MBBS curriculum to groom medical students into humane doctors who treat their patients with a person-centred rather than disease-centred approach.

Dr Sunil Kumar, director-in-charge of the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, said the faculty members — from different medical colleges — completed a foundation course in palliative care.

“Thirty of them were selected for an on-site training at KUHS. A three-day faculty development programme, inclusive of principles of palliative care, was conducted to empower them.

They will be train the others at different medical colleges,” Dr Sunil said, adding that the 30-hour session covers the basics of palliative care. Dr Mohanan stressed on the need to focus on pain relief alongside diagnosis and treatment. There is a proposal to expand the project to government nursing colleges to train nursing tutors and students as well, Dr Sunil added.