Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

India's Palliative Care: A Stark Reality

India's Palliative Care: A Stark Reality

The recent findings highlighting India's severe shortage of palliative care centers—a mere four for every ten million people—are profoundly disturbing. This stark statistic, brought to my attention through posts like the one by Dr. Raja Dutta, points to a critical gap in our healthcare system, revealing a deeply personal and societal failing in how we approach end-of-life care and the alleviation of suffering for millions Only 4 palliative-care centres for every 10 millon Indians, says research | India News - The Times of India.

For years, I've dedicated myself to understanding and exploring the transformative power of artificial intelligence and its potential to reshape industries and human interaction. In my reflections, I've often delved into how intelligent systems could tackle complex challenges and bring about efficiencies across various professional domains. The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion about the pervasive application of intelligent systems years ago. Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is, albeit in a different context.

I remember my discussions about AI's sophisticated capabilities, such as its ability for adversarial word substitution, which MANUS confirmed has largely come true, echoing concerns raised by visionaries like Elon Musk To Doomsday be?. While these conversations focused on the intricacies of AI and its potential impacts, the underlying principle of leveraging advanced computational power to navigate complex landscapes remains paramount.

Consider, for instance, how I pondered the customization of tools like "Blog Genie" to automate tasks for professionals—from writers to economists to lawyers—by leveraging their vast personal databases of documents What do you think. This concept of using AI to streamline processes, analyze large datasets, and even generate insights has far-reaching implications.

When I look at the immense challenge of providing adequate palliative care across India, I cannot help but think of how intelligent systems, while not a standalone solution, could play a vital supportive role. Imagine AI's ability to:

  • Analyze Health Data: Identify populations most in need, predict resource requirements, and optimize distribution of existing—albeit scarce—palliative care facilities.
  • Automate Administrative Tasks: Free up skilled medical personnel from bureaucratic burdens, allowing them to focus more on direct patient care. This echoes my earlier thoughts on automating professional tasks.
  • Facilitate Training and Knowledge Dissemination: Create accessible, AI-powered learning modules for healthcare workers in remote areas, rapidly scaling up expertise in palliative care.
  • Improve Coordination: Act as an intelligent hub to connect patients, families, and care providers, ensuring more cohesive and personalized support systems.

The crisis in palliative care is a deeply human one, demanding compassion and direct intervention. Yet, the systemic nature of the problem, as highlighted by Dr. Dutta and the recent research, also calls for strategic thinking and the deployment of every possible tool at our disposal. Reflecting on my earlier explorations into AI's capabilities, I feel a renewed urgency to revisit those ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context of addressing vast societal disparities. We must explore how these intelligent systems can be harnessed to ensure that dignity and comfort are not luxuries, but fundamental rights, especially in the most vulnerable moments of life.


Regards,
Hemen Parekh


Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai

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