‘AMRIT DHARA’ FOR CANCER VICTIMS

Dr Mami Parija's Amrit Dhara initiative provides free palliative care to terminally ill cancer patients and counselling to their family members for helping them in dealing with their fear and struggles, writes Diana Sahu

- Diana Sahu

VERY time city-based anaesthesiologist Dr Mami Parija meets a cancer patient in the advanced stages before and after a surgery, the questions she faces are if the disease will ever spare them and if their suffering can be reduced.

While she has no reply for the first question, her initiative - Amrit Dhara - addresses the second query by alleviating the suffering of both cancer patients in need and their families through free palliative care.

The initiative that took roots almost a decade back, is today providing comprehensive medical assessment, and managing issues associated with pain, psychological distress, spiritual and social needs, to patients and their families, in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state. It has touched lives of more than 800 families where cancer has either affected or claimed the life of one family member.