Sat Sep 13 19:46:32 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**Lakshmi Pain and Palliative Care Trust Celebrates 25 Years, Pledges Focus on Expansion and Education**

**CHENNAI, INDIA – September 14, 2025** – The Lakshmi Pain and Palliative Care Trust marked its silver jubilee on Saturday with a renewed commitment to expanding access to palliative care in India and enhancing its integration into medical education.

Speaking at the anniversary event, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya, Justice S. Vaidyanathan, emphasized that palliative care’s focus extends beyond symptom management to encompass the emotional and social well-being of patients and their families. “The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of both the patients and their families,” he stated, adding that understanding the nature of the illness is a crucial aspect of palliative care. Justice Vaidyanathan also noted the significant gap in access to palliative care, particularly in developing nations like India, where the burden of chronic illnesses is high.

Jerard Maria Selvam, Additional Director of the National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, acknowledged the Trust’s vital role in training medical professionals in palliative care. He also voiced concerns about the increasing commercialization and expense of assisted living facilities for the elderly.

Mallika Tiruvadanan, founder trustee of the Lakshmi Pain and Palliative Care Trust, outlined the organization’s future plans, which include working with stakeholders to incorporate palliative care into the MBBS curriculum and collaborating with the government to establish dedicated palliative medicine departments in all medical colleges.

The event was also attended by trustees Thayalan and Amruthavalli.

Read More