Of all the battles people fight in life, perhaps nothing equals the pain and trauma of disease, especially cancer.
Can you imagine if this is compounded by the lack of funds, what the brutal effects could be? Those who walk through the lanes around Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, see heart-wrenching sights of the poorest of poor in agonising conditions. The footpath is their bed. No blanket to cover themselves. No comfort food during treatment. Just the courage given by their family to grit their teeth and deal with fate's blow.
I met the late Dr Katie Dinshaw, a respected oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital in the course of helping raise funds for these cancer patients, eight years ago. She elaborated on the misery of patients from eastern India, who would travel all the way to Mumbai. They would go through a free consultation, maybe a round of chemo. But the sheer helplessness of not having a roof above their head drove them back, never to return.
With great compassion, Mr Ratan Tata ensured that the Tata group set up Tata Medical Center in 2011, a world-class not-for-profit hospital in Calcutta, where close to half the beds are reserved for the most underprivileged. Nearly 45,000 patients have been treated to date in what has become a beacon of hope for the people of eastern India.
What made Katie even happier was when the Tata Group bought an acre of land a stone's throw away from the hospital, to create a residential facility for the underprivileged.
WHERE THERE IS PREM, THERE'S A WAY!
Katie was a dreamer. She dreamt of this home where the poorest of poor cancer patients would be cared for. In one conversation, I recall how we scolded someone for referring to it as a "Dharamshala". We felt strongly that humanity surpasses privilege. The right to wonderful surroundings and aesthetics was not the prerogative of only the wealthy.
The dream was that the residence for the poorest-of-poor cancer patients would become a nurturing place filled with Prem. This would be manifest in the design, the feel-good spaces and above all in the wonderful vibrations created by brightness and energy.
Few could have done more justice to this dream than Sonke Hoof of Vastu Shilpa architects. Initially, I wondered how a German could envisage a home which would be comfortable to patients who largely came from our villages. Sonke stunned us with his depiction of a seemingly formidable 10-storey building, which internally exuded warmth, fresh air, light and friendliness. Sonke well understood the village adda - between a cluster of residential rooms, he created bright spaces, where families could sit, be taught skills and a large sprinkling of kitchens where they could cook comfort food for their loved ones.
Dreams have to be balanced with budgets and they seemed to rise with every idea. Katie Dinshaw was an eternal optimist. With her bright smile and twinkling eyes, she handed over the final plan to me and said three words, "Get the money!"
THE TURNING POINT
The money Katie was referring to was what she called an easy Rs 44 crore! People laughed when I mentioned this target. Where I expected funds to pour in lakhs, if not crores, they trickled in thousands.
I spent many months in Calcutta and other parts of India trying to meet this goal and got more and more despondent. At my lowest ebb one day, I was asked by someone, if in all the months of my attempts and struggle to raise funds, I had paid obeisance to Ma Kali at Kalighat. All mothers are forgiving of errant children and the Divine Ma more so. On return from Calcutta after surrendering at Her feet, I got a call from Mr R. Mohandas, director (HR) of Coal India, saying he was in Mumbai and could we meet. After my presentation, which emphasised the dire need to create a home for cancer patients close to the hospital in Calcutta, Mr Mohandas asked, "What do you want?"
My response was that in ancient India, when mendicants sought alms, and were asked how much they needed, they would say, " Bhavan Bhiksham Dadatu". Whatever given, would be their treasure.
He responded with a one-liner, "Coal India will build Premashraya".
The foundation stone for Premashraya was laid on the day the Tata Medical Center was inaugurated by Mr Tata in 2011 and the CSR Committee of Coal India Limited participated. The dream has fructified and the most underprivileged cancer patients will relish the fruits of Prem.
Our hon'ble Union minister for coal & power, Shri Piyush Goyal, will inaugurate this facility on July 3/4 this year.
It takes the confluence of many institutions, a potpourri of many people's affection to create an institution that radiates with love.
In keeping with the philosophy that every aspect of the facility should exude Prem, we put together elements that would add to this. Every floor, every room, has a theme inspired by nature. A wonderful corridor of prayer and contemplation represents the universality of religions.
We partnered with St. Jude's to run the children's section across two floors. Their exemplary track record of creating the most wonderful spaces for the recovery of patients with the highest standard of cleanliness and operations, made them noteworthy partners to bring on board. The other floors will be manned by Frontline, a highly professional pan-India agency.
A precious son of Bengal created magic with his brush and gave us an inspiration for Premashraya's theme: light.
Paresh Maity has donated a painting for the façade of the building, which depicts a group of villagers with a hurricane lamp moving forward positively. It is this light that is captured in a multi-coloured flame that has evolved into the logo of Premashraya.
Indeed, we hope Premashraya will be like the light of a flame, replacing cold with warmth, darkness with light, leading patients from anxiety to calmness.
Koel Dutta has always been our inspirational mascot for Tata Medical Center.
She was nine years old when detected with cancer. Her parents made multiple trips from Malda to Mumbai over four years, until they ran through all their savings. Darling Koel is a bright chirpy 18-year-old today. She has featured in so many fundraisers as a symbol of hope and courage.
I have tried to encapsulate Koel's journey in a poem that captures the essence of Premashraya.
THE LIGHT GUIDES ME
As a child, I waited for the rays of light
To pierce through the thatched roof
A new dawn lit my mother's face
As she slept with her arm around
me.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
She gazed at my upturned face.
My forehead creased with pain
I saw nothing but the light in her
eyes.
That comforting light which lifted
my sinking spirits
And told me, all will be well
In my dark days
When an enemy inside me
Troubled me
Tormented me
I clung to the light in my heart
Faith shone brightly.
And told me all will be well.
Now that I have seen light I know
True light does not just come from
lamps or a flame
Or only from the sun moon and
stars
For there is light in hope
There is light in compassion
In Premashraya there is light which tells me....all will be well.
If any reader wishes to support a cancer patient at Premashraya please reach out to prem.premashraya@tmckolkata.com
