Media Release
Manipal, Apr 30: Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Kasturba Hospital, MAHE Manipal in association with Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology inaugurated AccessLife MAHE, Manipal Centre (Home away from Home” for children with cancer and their caregivers) on Saturday April 30.
Which provides Free Accommodation, Nutrition, Counselling and Education support services to children with cancer and their caregivers.
This is joint venture of Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, MAHE Manipal and Accesslife.
Chief guest Dr Ranjan R Pai, chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) inaugurated the center.
Girish Nair, founder and chairman, Ankeet Dave, co-founder and executive director, AccessLife Assistance Foundation, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor, MAHE, Manipal were the guests of honour of the programme. Dr H S Ballal, pro chancellor, MAHE Manipal was presided over the programme.
AccessLife MAHE, Manipal Centre located at opposite Energy Cell, near BQ road, Madhavanagar, Manipal. Access Life Assistance Foundation, India is a Non-profit organization registered company, providing multi-disciplinary supportive care to families who come to cancer center for their child’s cancer treatment. They offer accommodation, hygienic environment, nutritional meals, counselling, recreational and educational support, both for the children and their parents during the entire duration of treatment which goes to the duration of 3-6 months and sometimes even a year.
Dr Ranjan R Pai, chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) said, “The centre is one-of-its-kind and is the first 'home away from home' concept in Karnataka which provides holistic care to children and their caregivers belonging to lower socio-economic strata while the cancer treatment is ongoing in the hospital. The centre also provides avenue for lot of volunteers from this region to step up and engage themselves with these children and families to make their journey through cancer treatment more pleasant."
Ankeet Dave, co-founder and executive director said, “We are extremely delighted to start our new centre in Manipal in association with MAHE. We are pleased that we will not only be able to support all the treating doctors, paramedical team and families but our extension to Manipal, Karnataka will also allow us to spread awareness on childhood cancer."
Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor congratulated the team work and said, “MAHE formed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with this foundation as more than 2/3rd of children with cancer taking treatment in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology of Kasturba Hospital were coming from rural interiors of Karnataka. MAHE provided two residential quarters close to the hospital and Access Life Assistance Foundation renovated it and made it into a hygienic accommodation which can host 12 families at any given time."
Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor said, “Childhood cancers being curable, the centre aims at reducing treatment abandonment and refusal by the caregivers due to financial and social reasons by providing these facilities which reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure during cancer treatment while the hospital continues to help these children with treatment through various funds and schemes."
All these facilities come at no extra cost to the patient and the operational cost for the centre would be borne largely by the Access Life Assistance Foundation.