Manipal: To ensure that no child misses out on cancer treatment due to non-medical challenges, Access Life, in partnership with MAHE University and Chellaram Foundation, inaugurated a new 'Home Away From Home' (HAH) center in Manipal on Saturday for pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) patients.
Presiding over the event, MAHE Pro-Chancellor Dr H S Ballal said that supporting children and families during difficult times aligns perfectly with the values and vision of our founder, Dr T M A Pai. Space has been provided for this center to help create a safe and caring environment for children undergoing bone marrow transplants, he added.
Inaugurating the facility, Dr Ashok Gawande, India Head of the Mumbai-based Chellaram Foundation, said that their core mission is to support children and families fighting cancer.
Girish Nair, Founder and Chairman of Access Life Assistance Foundation, stated that the center has been opened with the sole objective that no child suffering from cancer should be deprived of treatment and proper care.
MAHE COO Dr Anand Venugopal, Kasturba Hospital Manipal Medical Superintendent Dr Avinash Shetty, KMC Dean Dr Anil K Bhat, Manipal Foundation CEO Harinarayan Sharma, KMC Manipal Head of Paediatric Oncology Department Dr Vasudeva Bhat K, and Access Life Assistance Foundation Executive Director Ankit Dev were present.
Specially designed facility
The center will support the families of children undergoing bone marrow transplant therapy at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. This newly launched 10-unit facility is specially designed for pediatric BMT patients. Since a patient's immunity is severely compromised during treatment and recovery, maintaining a safe, hygienic, and controlled environment is crucial, and the center has been designed to meet these exact needs. This is the second center set up by Access Life in collaboration with MAHE. The first 12-unit center was inaugurated in Manipal in 2022 and has provided accommodation to nearly 350 beneficiaries.