Our Story

Being an anesthesiologist by profession, the cancer patients whom undergo surgery at various stages of their disease, would be seen by me before and after surgery. A world of melancholy, and a look of helplessness, surrounded the patients and their anxious relatives. This is precisely the scenario at my pre-anesthesia interaction with them. And the situation gets worse when a patient wakes them up from anesthesia. I often hear questions like -
"Doctor, my tumor could be removed ? Any other danger ? Will I be alright ?"
 

Oh Lord... life is there, life is still there, till the last breath.

When a disease has very much progressed, there must be some means and ways to reduce its suffering. I was deeply moved and this thought kept on harping in my mind, time and again, whenever I encountered such patients.

I shared my thoughts with whomsoever I met. A bit more effort, was the need of the hour. The search for a way that is achievable and feasible.
 

By end of 2012 the answer from the Almighty came in the form of my childhood friend, Namrata. She had come to see me at Apollo hospital. It was an efflux of all my inner thoughts and feelings and her response was so overwhelming. She immediately showed me a few pictures of the house (our current Amrit Dhara Palliative Care Trust-ADPCT centre) and told me,” Let us do it here”. Was this a joke ! "Absolutely not!", she retorted.

Her intention was clear and truly genuine. She believed that this house was the chosen one for such a noble cause. I and Namrata started communicating and exchanging ideas and possibilities. Nitai, one of our trustees, has been in touch with Namrata for quite some time about facilitating smooth process for cancer patients and their families traveling to Mumbai for treatment.  Two other trustees - Ratan and Surendra thinking along the same line, joined us and we together registered the Amrit Dhara Trust on 24th September 2019. 

We chose the name - AMRIT DHARA to be most appropriate name to convey our mission, because AMRIT DHARA (stream of nectar), stands for providing comprehensive medical assessment, and managing of issues associated with pain, psychological distress, spiritual and social needs, to the patients and their family in distress.

"YOU MATTER", in our logo was taken from a quote by Dame Cicely Saunders. 

Mami Parija