Biodata

M. R. Rajagopal (born 23 September 1947) is an Indian palliative care physician referred to as the 'father of palliative care in India' in honour of his significant contribution to the palliative care scene in India. Rajagopal is the Founder Chairman of Pallium India, a palliative care non-governmental organisation formed in 2003 and based in Kerala, India. Rajagopal was the prime mover in the creation of the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) by the Ministry of Health of Government of India. His advocacy has contributed to amendment of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of India in 2014 and in its implementation—a critical step in reducing needless suffering and allowing millions to access pain relief A documentary film based on Rajagopal's life, titled 'Hippocratic: 18 Experiments in Gently Shaking the World'[11] was released by Moonshine Agency, Australia, on World Palliative Care Day, 14 October 2017. In 2018, the Indian Government honoured Rajagopal with the Padma Shri award, "one of the highest civilian awards"] instituted in India for distinguished service.He was nominated in 2018 for the Nobel Peace Prize. He published his memoir 'Walk with the Weary' in 2022, where he shares lessons he learned while walking along the road of life limiting illness with people who changed his outlook on what matters the most when living with a critical illness, and also at the end of life. Rajagopal has co-authored many Lancet Commission reports and was one of the authors of the report on 'Value of Death' published in 2022.