"If I can stop one Heart from Breaking,
I shall not Live in Vain,
If I can Ease one Life the Aching,
I shall not live in Vain"
.

ABOUT JEEVODAYA


When stifled by Pangs of Pain,
When all strengths fail
And even Tears go dry
We stand by you
To Caress, Comfort and Care for you.
May we perceive your inner sores too
-the burning Pain and the aching Void,
The haunting fears of Disability, Decay and Death.
May your sufferings make us deeply Human,
So that, we do not let you Fade away
In agony, Pain and Loneliness.


To be with a person who is dying,
to share consciousness with him and to help him die consciously,
is one of the most exquisite manifestations of true love.


Jeevodaya, provides to the needy, a bed to sleep, clothes to wear, suitable meals, and above all pain and palliative care and the right to die with dignity as every human being should.

Jeevodaya also organises burials and cremations to suit the religious convictions of the deceased. 

All this is done FREE. Absolutely FREE.

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How we came together…… 

It was God's Will! How else can we describe the sequence of events that culminated in the birth of Jeevodaya. 

Prof. Dr. Udaya Mahadevan, Professor of Social Work at Loyola College, Chennai and a true social worker in word and deed, played a pivotal role in bringing about the project. She was introduced to the FCC sisters by one her students - Mr. Babu Thelapilly. The FCC sisters from Alvernia province, Kerala, had come to Chennai, with a vision of a hospice in mind and a background of caring for cancer patients in Kerala. They were new to Chennai and needed guidance.

It was at the same time that two doctors - Dr. Manjula Krishnaswamy and Dr. Snehalatha – who were working in the cancer wing of a Government Hospital in Chennai, and who were faced with the problem of handling advanced cancer patients daily were thinking along similar lines, about the need for a Palliative Care centre for Cancer patients.

Dr. Udaya, brought the two -groups together and after the first meeting there was no looking back.

Another red letter day was when Prof. Mohammed Harris. ( again introduced by Dr. Udaya) Dean of the School of Architecture and his team mates Mr. Swaminathan and Mr. Kesavulu, offered to take It up as their School's pride project to design the hospice - which today stands out as a pearl in an emerald landscape.

Dr. Nanjunda Rao, an eminent surgeon, Teacher and social worker, who had retired as Professor of Surgery, from Madras Medical College, consented to be the president. He was joined by Dr. Manokaran and Dr. Ponni. This group - with the FCC sister in the forefront - continues to be the core - the heart and soul of Jeevodaya, but the family is expanding. Jeevodaya is no more just a hospice or a trust, it is a movement - a philosophy - that embraces all mankind. ___________________________________

Founder Members 

Sr.Liberata FCC - Chairman

Dr.R.Nanjunda Rao - President,Ms, FICS, FRS, TH, FAMS 
Sr.Lalitha Teresa FCC - Secretary 

Sr.Magna FCC - Executive Director 

Sr.Goretti FCC - Treasurer 

Dr.Udaya Mahadevan Ph.D - Hon.Social Work Consultant 

Dr.Manjula Krishnaswamy MS - Hon.Medical Director

Dr. M. Snehalatha - Joint Hon. Medical Director (late) 
Dr.S.Krishnamurthi MS - Supporting Member (late) 

Dr.V.Shantha MD,DGO - Hon.Advisor 
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Facilities at Jeevodaya:

• 50 beds for in-patients
• Professional medical service provided by doctors and nurses trained in       Palliative Care
• Round the clock nursing services
• Medication for pain and symptom control as per WHO guidelines. [          Jeevodaya was the first institution in Tamilnadu to get license for using       Oral Morphine for Cancer Pain Control]
• Food individualized to patient’s need
• Counseling/Social Work services
• Services of Volunteers
• Entertainment and recreational facilities
• All community prayer services
• Dormitory facilities for relatives/at tenders
• Ambulance service to transport patients to and from hospitals/homes
• Mini-mortuary
• In case of destitute patients last rites done by the Hospice as per the        religious belief of the patient
• Recently an out-patient centre started in the heart of the city at Kilpauk  ,for the benefit of patients who preferred to stay at home•Limited Home  Care Service


ALL SERVICES AT JEEVODAYA ARE RENDERED FREE OF COST. THE HOSPICE WAS BUILT AND IS MAINTAINED BY GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM THE BENEVOLENT PUBLIC.
OTHER OUTREACH PROGRAMMES OF JEEVODAYA

• Education and Awareness programmes on Cancer –in schools, colleges and other institutions
• Cancer screening programmes –in slums, rural areas and industrial establishments
• Publishing a quarterly Newsletter•Homecare training•Community clinic
• Hosting a website –www jeevodaya.com
• Conducting courses, seminars and workshops in Palliative Care for doctors, nurses and social workers. 

Recently the IAPC has granted the status of "Regional Traiining Centre in Palliative Care to Jeevodaya" and Jeevodaya conducts the IAPC Certificate Course in Essentials of Palliative Care for Doctors and Nurses biannually starting first of June and November .