Care, comfort and dignity: Inside Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre with Dr Eric Borges (VIDEO)

In a quiet corner of a prime south Mumbai neighbourhood, there is a lush seven-acre land that houses the King George V Memorial Trust, which is a sanctuary of hope and love. While this 87-year-old Trust has several humanitarian projects, one that has gotten the city talking and is one-of-a-kind too is Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre (SNPCC). Sukoon Nilaya, meaning ‘The Abode of Tranquility’, was established in 2021 with support from the Cipla Foundation to provide specialised palliative care, focusing particularly on non-cancer patients.

Dr Eric Borges, chairperson of Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre and King George V Memorial Trust, explains that medical professionals recognised that many patients with non-cancer illnesses endure prolonged suffering over years—even decades—throughout the course of their diseases. Their families also face immense hardship during this time. As a result, the concept of palliative care expanded to include a wide range of non-cancer conditions.

“SNPCC is the only centre in Maharashtra providing comprehensive, holistic care for patients with non-cancer illnesses. This need formed the very raison d’être of the centre. Its mission is to alleviate pain and suffering not only for patients, but also for their caregivers. The centre’s team addresses ‘total pain,’ which goes beyond physical discomfort to include psychological distress caused by chronic illness, financial burdens, and social isolation,” explains Dr Borges, who has been a cardiologist for 46 years. He further adds that many patients face stigma or withdraw from society due to their conditions, and SNPCC’s holistic approach ensures support on all these fronts.

After emergency treatment, palliative care steps in to help patients regain the best possible quality of life. At SNPCC, patients are admitted with a family caregiver, who is trained by staff in essential care techniques, including therapies like physiotherapy, speech therapy, and swallowing therapy, nursing, feeding, and preventing bedsores etc. “Before discharge—typically after 15 to 18 days—caregivers must pass an examination to demonstrate their ability to provide proper care. During their stay, patients receive all therapies, medications, and assistive devices completely free of charge,” explains the Shivaji Park resident.

The centre now collaborates with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, SNDT University, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to train doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals in palliative care. This initiative extends the centre’s mission beyond patient treatment and rehabilitation to include education in the field. It’s important to understand that this level of palliative care is a relatively new field, and there is a shortage of trained professionals. “The centre is working to build this workforce by focusing on skill enhancement, development, and education in palliative care,” shares the doctor, who also writes poetry.

Dr Girish L Telang, retired Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Roche India Management Center, who has known Dr Borges for over two decades, shares, “Dr. Borges is doing incredibly important work that was long overdue in Mumbai. At the centre, I witnessed terminally ill patients—many of them underprivileged or without any family or community support—being cared for with compassion and dignity. His efforts have brought help and hope to thousands of such patients.” 

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