Guwahati: Palliative care is not available to even 1 per cent of the around 1 lakh patients in the state, according to Guwahati Pain and Palliative Care Society at the special screening of Hippocratic - a biopic on Dr M.R. Rajagopal here on Sunday evening.

Hippocratic is based on the story of Rajagopal, considered the father of palliative care in India. It was during an interaction with the audience at Sudmersen Hall of Cotton University that the scope and reach of palliative care in the state came to light.

Palliative care is holistic care in which the patient and families can benefit right from diagnosis of a life-limiting disease until death and bereavement. The benefits are control of pain and other symptoms both physical and psychological, quality of life and death, resolution of fears, maintaining hope, dignity and well-being of the carer and others.

"The need for palliative care is greater in Assam and the rest of the country because disease-specific treatment does not reach patients adequately or early enough. Palliative care is needed for most life-limiting diseases like heart disease, paralysis, kidney problems, Alzheimer's and others. The need for palliative care centres arises from the fact that long-term treatment is not possible in hospitals. People need to be trained to offer these services. This can be a career option for the youth," said secretary-cum-CEO of the society, Dinesh Goswami.

The society runs the Durga Nath Hemo Probha Hazarika Memorial Palliative Care Clinic at Uzan Bazar.

A centre at Dibrugarh town is also coming up.