Vasantha Memorial Cancer Centre, Mumbai

In the 10 years since the Mumbai chapter began its operations the chapter had become very busy and it was difficult to function out of the Trustee’s flat. Secondly cancer screening camps were receiving good patronage and a space was required for this. On 4^th Dec 2011 the trust opened its own office at a 2 bedroom flat at Kannamwar nagar in Vikhroli .The place also functioned as clinic and was to become a rehabilitation centre in the future.

It is a hub of activity from the day of its inauguration. The centre receives patients seeking aid or counseling, till date 929 patients have visited the centre. Apart from patients, visitors include donors, local people involved in Seva Mandals and people from Institutions seeking to organize screening camps or cancer awareness talks etc. Weekly Pap smear camps held on Wednesdays & Fridays gathers a a large number of women and so far 2953 women have been screened here.

With the commencement of the Vasanth Mitra program, the Mumbai centre has seen a huge surge in footfall. Started in Aug 2018, this is a support group for Breast cancer survivors – 275 women visited the centre in the course of 7 such meetings held between 21st Nov 17 to 3rd Nov 18. The program has been quite a success as seen by the increased attendance in successive meets. The last meeting in Nov 2018 saw a huge attendance of 82 women, due to which we had to hire a bigger hall nearby!

This year, we added one more activity at the Mumbai centre viz., rehabilitation activity for women under the rehabilitation scheme for cancer survivors. Cancer survivors regularly come to the centre to stitch bags, pouches etc .

Other activities at the centre include training workshops; Diwali & Christmas parties for cancer patients, workshop for breast cancer educators, regular volunteer meetings etc Volunteers also come regularly to the centre to coordinate the various activities and also to maintain and update registers, data-entry, preparation of reports etc.

The centre has received very good patronage, is active all 365 days and it hopes grow bigger and involve more in the fight against cancer