PACT will bring together a multidisciplinary team of Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs), including specialists in geriatrics, palliative and family medicine, music therapy, and adult education. They will partner healthcare professionals from 14 Indian states to enhance the full spectrum of palliative care services in clinical and non-clinical areas. In 2026, a Leaders Roundtable convened by the SIF and Pallium India will provide PACT participants with a platform to engage Indian healthcare leaders on policy and systemic changes. They will also have the opportunity to visit Singapore on a study trip and participate in an online symposium with the wider Indian healthcare community.
The SIV team will be led by Dr Ramaswamy Akhileswaran, Senior Palliative Medicine Consultant at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Department of Geriatrics, who has volunteered with the SIF for over 16 years. Together, they will also equip all 30 PACT participants with training and mentorship skills, empowering them to share knowledge with peers and medical students in their respective states.
The PACT curriculum will include:
- Managing complex symptoms in palliative care;
- Caring for non-cancer patients with renal, respiratory, cardiac, and neurological conditions;
- Embarking on advance care planning and enhancing communication skills for palliative and end-of-life care; and
- Supporting allied health specialists including medical social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, music therapists, and pastoral care workers.
The launch event at the Indian Medical Association Cochin Branch in Kerala was officiated by Mr Janadas Devan, SIF Chairman and Mr Binod Hariharan, Chairman and Trustee, Pallium India. Distinguished guests included Mr Edgar Pang, Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Chennai; Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Health Sciences; Mr Junaid Rahman, former President, Indian Medical Association and Chairman, Arike Home Care; and Dr Athul Joseph Manual, Co-Founder, Arike Home Care and Medical Officer, National Health Mission in Kochi.
Mr Hariharan said: “This new collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation is an exciting step in enriching palliative care in India. By providing training that encompasses both clinical and supportive aspects of palliative care, we hope to offer more holistic support to patients, their families, and the community at large. The shared learning and friendships forged through PACT will strengthen efforts to provide more comprehensive and compassionate care.”
Mr Devan said: “The relationship between Singapore and India is a strong and enduring one. Over the past three decades, the SIF has worked closely with Indian communities to enhance education and healthcare standards in more than 20 projects. A key strength of our approach lies in our specialist volunteers who have dedicated their time and expertise to supporting these SIF projects, working alongside our friends in India, in a spirit of mutual learning and collaboration. Their shared commitment has been instrumental in creating positive impact and uplifting lives. We will continue to further strengthen our partnerships to develop impactful solutions for a better world.”
The PACT project is the SIF’s fifth palliative care initiative, building on the success of projects in Indonesia and China. They are Palliative Care for Children (2009–2012) and Enhancing Palliative Care Practice (2015–2018) in Jakarta, Enabling Palliative Care Trainers (2019–2021) in West Java, and Enhancing Palliative Care (2019–2022) in Yunnan. It contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) with a focus on target 3.8 to ensure access to quality essential healthcare services, as well as Goal 17 (Partnerships for Sustainable Development).
