It is the wish of all of us who care for the ill to cure them, but it is also the inevitable truth that this wish does not come true in a great proportion of our patients. Significant proportion of these patients and their care givers experience a range of complex physical, psycho social and spiritual problems which need multi-disciplinary team approach of complex care.

Palliative care is the prevention and relief of suffering of any kind experienced by adults and children living with life limiting illness. It promotes dignity, quality of life and adjustment to progressive illness, using best available evidence. It offers a support system for patient’s life as active as possible until they die and gives support to family members during patient’s illness and bereavement. It is an advanced care planning identifying priorities and goals for care at the end of life using ethical principles and shared decision making.

It is admirable to find that there are some activities already set in Sri Lanka and Ministry of health has initiated a steering committee for Palliative care.

Sri Lanka Medical Association as an apex professional organization among medical professionals, wish to work hand in hand with the Palliative care steering committee of Sri Lanka to face this challenge and to develop this new approach of Patient caring system, developing Palliative care services across the island which would cater to the needs of both cancer and non-cancer patients.