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India, Rishikesh, July 25th, 2010
July Clinic 2010
Patients with 17 different types of cancer were given consultations at the Ganga Prem Hospice cancer clinic. Oral cancer was predominant among the 30 cancer patients who visited the clinic from 10 different towns.

The July 2010 clinic of Ganga Prem Hospice was the second busiest so far in the three years that the cancer clinic has been running.

There were forty six patients in all with 30 cancer patients, six of whom were terminally ill. The patients’ ages ranged from five to seventy-six years old. Patients with 17 different cancers were given consultations, with oral cancer being predominant among them.

Sarojini jokes with a patient's son at registration desk

In order to accommodate all the patients the clinic went on well beyond its scheduled closing time of 1 PM. The oncology consultations were given by the Ganga Prem Hospice Medical director, Dr AK Dewan, gynaecology consultations by Dr Rajesh Saxena and ayurveda consultations by Dr JP Rathi and Renu Gulati. A guest ayurvedacharya at the clinic was Dr JR Raju from Delhi who also saw a number of patients.

The terminally ill patients at the July 2010 clinic
The very first patient at the clinic was a 68 year old woman from Dehradun who was terminally with from mouth (left pyriform fossa) cancer. Her pain symptoms were extreme and she found it hard to sit still as Dr Dewan examined her and advised her son on the course of palliative treatment. The patient was given a bed to rest on and some fruit juice as she had travelled a long way and was exhausted from the trauma of her pain. The patient’s son refused to have a tracheostomy done on his mother, although it was urgently needed as the oncologist feared that the patient could choke if any food or liquid would go in the wind pipe. The consequence of the tracheostomy viz. the loss of voice but the brightening of her chances to stay alive, were explained to the carer.

Kaartik, our home care child patient with bone cancer, is perhaps at the very last stage of his disease, having become very weak. He is on oral analgesic drops. The latest X-ray reports of the patient’s chest show that both lungs either have a large part invaded by the tumour or the chest is filled with fluid. The patient needs an ultrasound test to find out what the exact situation is, based on which symptomatic treatment will be given.

Kartik tries to smile at the camera

The ultrasound is being sponsored by our gynaecologist, whose son owns a diagnostic centre. Dr Saxena also saw female patients for gynaecological problems and screened them for cancer, referring the cases to oncologist Dr Dewan when cancer was indeed suspected. A stage three breast cancer patient was examined by the gynaecologist and then by Dr Dewan who found that there was also skin involvement in the disease.

Several patients were seen with the disconcerting signs of advanced cancer. A terminally ill mouth cancer patient could not open his mouth fully due to advanced disease and another patient’s palate had rotted, her face was distorted and the bone was starting to show through the rotting palate.

Patients from near and far
The clinic saw patients from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Kotdwar, Roorkee, Jwalapur, Bijnor, Bhogpur and Kangapur. As a result of prior advertisements in the media, the clinic saw a sharp increase in the number of patients from Dehradun. One patient who came from Uttarkashi, a seven hour drive away, had got delayed for six hours by a monsoon landslide in the mountains which had blocked the road. Dr Dewan waited for the patient to arrive until long after the clinic had concluded and compassionately gave the patient and her sons appropriate consultations. Ganga Prem Hospice personnel also arranged for their stay in Rishikesh.

Alternate therapies for relaxation

Corinne helps a pain racked patient to relax

The clinic welcomed many guests including a sacro-cranial practitioner, Corinne Burgalière, who gave her services to three cancer patients who were showing signs of discomfort, including one who was writhing with pain. After an hour of therapy, the patients were quietly resting with their distress visibly reduced.

The registration and post consultation counselling was done by Sarojini Murthy. Our volunteers Anil Gupta and Kamla Bhasin helped with the clinic operations.

Volunteers from the Rishikesh Inner Wheel Young Women’s Club, were present at the clinic for the first time to observe and help with the arrangements. Also present were Mr Raghuvir Lal Ghai, Hony. Manager, Punjab Sindh Kshetra, and Mr Ashok Arora of the Kshetra.

Our staff members Yogeshwar Prasad Barathwal and Mr Sebastion from Rishikesh, and Pooja Dogra from Delhi also assisted with the clinic arrangements.

India, Rishikesh, July 25th, 2010
Ganga Prem Hospice ambulance flagged-off
The first ambulance of Ganga Prem Hospice was flagged off on July 25, 2010 from the Punjab Sindh Kshetra Nanki Devi Hospital in Rishikesh. The guest of honour who flagged off the ambulance was Dr Ajit Pathak, Senior Public Relations Officer, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL).

The ambulance has been sponsored by the Indian Oil Corporation as a public-interest gesture. The flag-off took place in a simple ceremony during the monthly cancer clinic of Ganga Prem Hospice on the Guru Purnima day which saw 46 patients in all. The Ganga Prem Hospice ambulance is being used to provide home care to cancer patients in Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun areas, and to provide free of charge ambulance services to cancer patients. It is the first service of its kind in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

Present at the flag-off were the Medical Director of Ganga Prem Hospice, Dr AK Dewan, SCCT Trustee and Honorary Manager of Punjab Sindh Kshetra, Mr RL Ghai, Rishikesh based philanthropist Lala Shiv Charan Aggarwal, mediapersons, and members of the Ganga Prem Hospice team. Dr Pathak of the Indian Oil Corporation took a short tour of the clinic and wished the Hospice and the patients well.

Dr Pathak flags off 1st GPH ambulance

India, Rishikesh, June 27th, 2010
June Clinic 2010
Twenty seven cancer patients among the 38 patients seen in June 2010

Ten terminally ill cancer patients were among the 38 patients who sought consultations at the Ganga Prem Hospice free cancer clinic on June 27th. Of these, 27 were cancer patients while the other 11 patients were screened for the possibility of cancer. One hallmark of the June 2010 Ganga Prem Hospice cancer clinic was that a number of patients, even including some who were critically ill, came from distances of more than a hundred kilometers away. The clinic saw patients from Roorkee, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Kotdwaar, Rishikesh and Dehradun, among other places.

Two child cancer patients
There were two child patients, our four year old terminally ill bone cancer patient and an eleven year old leukemia (CML) patient.

Dr Rupali Dewan with Ali Parkher and his father

The leukemia patient’s very caring family showed the medical reports of the child to the Ganga Prem Hospice Surgical Oncologist, Dr AK Dewan, and Dr Dewan counselled them on how some leukemia medicines could help the little patient. The oncologist also told the family that he would consult the patient’s history with a paediatric oncologist to arrive at a more conclusive decision.

Mrs Rupali Dewan lovingly examined the child and consoled him and his father.

The terminally ill patients
Most of the terminally ill patients seen at the June 2010 clinic were critically ill.

Among them, a 45 year old Bijnor patient suffering from throat cancer had the oncologist worried that he could choke to death at anytime given his rasping voice—an indictor of very advanced disease. Dr Dewan advised the family to have a nasal tube inserted for nutrition intake, as soon as possible.

The patient indicates his problem to Dr Dewan

Another terminally ill oesophagus cancer patient who lives in the clinic vicinity had a cheerful demeanour but looked extremely emaciated.

A long time Ganga Prem Hospice breast cancer patient has also taken a turn for the worse with the disease affecting her left arm. She has been categorized as terminally ill now and has started palliative chemotherapy.

Our home care liver cancer patient, Neema’s, condition continues to be a mystery but she is being supported by her carer (a social worker) and the Ganga Prem Hospice home care team. Our child home care bone cancer patient, Kartik, is sadly on a decline. He is growing weaker by the day but still manages to smile when he is photographed as he loves the camera.

A silver lining at the clinic was the improvement in the condition of our terminally ill lymph node cancer patient, Baisakhi Devi. The three rounds of palliative chemotherapy sponsored by Ganga Prem Hospice have led to a reduction in the tumour size and she is visibly more comfortable. The oncologist Dr Dewan was very happy to see the remarkable improvement.

Other new terminally ill patients living in the Rishikesh area have subsequently been visited by our Palliative Care coordinator, Sarojini Murthy.

Alternate therapies
The clinic’s regular Ayurvedacharya, Dr Rathi, gave patients consultation for symptomatic relief.

Renu Gulati guides a patient in simple yoga exercises

Renu Gulati, yoga specialist and Ayurveda Practitioner was also present at the clinic and counselled one of the patients for her varicose vein condition. The patient was a treated cancer patient and was therefore nervous that her varicose vein condition could be related to cancer. Dr Dewan allayed that fear and Renu had a long session with the patient, advising her concerning yoga exercises and diet.

Corinne Burgaliere, a sacro-cranial therapist was also present at the clinic and offered her services for Home Care visits.

Baidyanath donated some Ayurveda medicines for the cancer patients at the clinic which were sorted and classified by Dr Rathi and Renu.

Publicity in Rishikesh
The growing numbers of cancer patients attending the clinic is largely due the increasing publicity in Rishikesh. Local newspapers carried announcements on the Friday and Saturday while local businesses sponsored banners advertising the camp. Next month the publicity will be extended to the surrounding areas.

Our oncologist Dr Dewan was accompanied by Dr Rupali Dewan who helped him in examining and counselling the worried patients and families. Dr Rupali Dewan examined a number of female patients with the assistance of Mrs Sebastion, the Ganga Prem Hospice staff nurse.

The patients were counselled by our palliative care counsellor Sarojini Murthy. Volunteers Anil Gupta, Steven Lopresti, Kamla Bhasin, and Anuj Gupta helped Yogeshwar Prasad and co-ordinator Pooja Dogra, with the clinic management. Trustee Mr Raghuvir was present to ensure that the workers had everything that they needed.

India, Rishikesh, May 30th, 2010
May Clinic 2010
Twenty two cases of cancer at the May cancer clinic

The May 2010 clinic of Ganga Prem Hospice saw the continuing transition from general ailments patients visiting the clinic to the clinic being specifically visited by cancer patients. Out of the 38 patients who came for consultation on 30 May 2010, twenty-two were cases of cancer, while the rest had come to be screened for cancer, suspecting they had the disease. Six terminally ill patients came for consultation, with cancers of the liver, bone, tonsil, base tongue, lymph node and lower oesophagus. Three of these terminally ill patients are already being given home care by the Hospice team.

GPH nurse taking Ramjeet's blood pressure at the clinic

The Ganga Prem Hospice newly-employed full time nurse, Sicily Sebastian, joined the clinic for the first time, assisting the Hospice Oncologist Dr Ajay Dewan by measuring the patients’ blood pressure and weight before they proceeded to the doctor for consultation. Mrs Sebastion's loving nature is much appreciated by the patients and staff alike.

One 77 year old female patient was diagnosed as suffering from breast cancer. Dr Dewan advised the woman’s husband to have the patient operated upon immediately for removal of tumour. When the husband, himself into early 80s, demurred, the doctor apprised him of the very difficult situation the couple could face if the disease was not arrested at this point. The GPH home care team has been asked to follow up the case. The couple are very poor.

Of the three home care patients who visited the clinic for consultation, the terminally ill lymph node cancer patient’s condition is worrying as despite having undergone palliative chemotherapy, the tumour has not diminished. She is being visited regularly at her home in the leper colony by the Ganga Prem Hospice nurse who drains the pus and dresses her wound.

Our four year old terminally ill bone cancer patient was seen to be still in stable condition, although a little less active than the last month when he was very playful. The prognosis of his progressive disease was explained to his grandparents who accompany the child to the clinic. The Ganga Prem Hospice team regularly gives the child donated toys which make him feel happy and welcome the visitors. He told one volunteer “This hospital is nice, they don’t give me injections.”

Another grave case is that of a 34 year old woman who is a resident of Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. Her poor financial condition and the fact that she is a widow, has led a civil society activist to help bring her to the clinic for consultations. Earlier employed as a tea- vendor, the patient has liver secondaries and is terminally ill. She has three children.

34 year old Neema with Dr Dewan

When her guardian asked how she was still living with such advanced liver cancer condition, the oncologist explained that neuro-endocrine tumours of the liver are known to progress slowly and can allow a cancer patient to live beyond the expected time.

The Ganga Prem Hospice leukaemia (Chronic myelogenous-CML) home care patient is being considered for the very expensive but effective leukaemia drug—Gleevac. Ramjeet Yadhav has 4 small children and works as a labourer. His financial status is below the poverty line.

With so many seriously ill and financially underprivileged patients, the clinic work was busy but poignant. Dr Rathi, our Ayurveda Acharya and Yogeshwara Prasada, GPH administrative assistant were present and volunteers joined in to help—Anil Gupta in communications, Anuj Gupta from Delhi, in assisting the transference of prescription sheets between the doctor and the counsellor, Kamala Bhasin in taking the patients to the doctor’s room and Steven Lopresti in managing the office and photography.

Sarojini counsels the breast cancer patient's husband

The registration and counselling was done by Sarojini Murthy. Trustees, Mr Raghuvir Ghai, Mr Suresh Kathpalia and Nani Ma and GPH coordinator, Pooja Dogra from Delhi, were helping at the clinic. Suresh Kathpalia and Anil Gupta interviewed candidates for the position of local assistant manager as well as welcoming new volunteers.

One volunteer donated a Sphygmomanometer. Arbro Pharmaceuticals of Delhi donated medicines, HOSCO of Kolkata donated three nebulisers, two Sphygmomanometers and one blood sugar monitor and Pepsi Co. donated fruit juices for the patients. Three donations were also received towards helping the widow of Rajendra Kumar to carry out the traditional thirteen day rites which follow the death of a Hindu. Due to the impoverished condition of the family, Ganga Prem Hospice is paying for the funeral arrangements and other rites of our patient Rajendra, who died on Tuesday, 25th May. The difficult financial and social situation of the 26 year old widow of home care patient Swayumvar Joshi, who died on Saturday, 29th of May will also be reviewed by our Palliative Care Coordinator, Sarojini Murthy, to see how Ganga Prem Hospice can help her in her bereavement. Swayumvar also left a four year old child.

Our next monthly Charitable Cancer Clinic
June 27th, 2010, 9.00 am-1.00pm
at Sardarni Nanki Devi and Punjab Sindh Kshetra Clinic,
Haridwar Rd, Rishikesh. (opp. Choti Subzi Mandi)

India, Dehradun, May 29th, 2010
World No Tobacco Day
GPH Marking the World No Tobacco Day with a press conference

Ganga Prem Hospice organised a press conference in Dehradun on 29th May, 2010 on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day (31 May). The conference was organised to underline the link between tobacco consumption and cancer. Journalists from 22 newspapers and two television news channels covered the event. The news media representatives were given information about the cancer load in the Uttarakhand state, and how ailments caused by tobacco consumption is eating into the health budget of the country.

The Ganga Prem Hospice team was represented by Dr AK Dewan (Medical Director), Suresh Kathpalia (Treasurer), Sarojini Murthy (Palliative Care Counsellor), and Nani Ma (Spiritual Counsellor). The Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Dr Ashok Sharma, and Himalayan Institute Oncologist, Dr Sunil Saini, were special invitees.

Dr Dewan speaking at the Press Conference

The conference was organised by Pooja Dogra, Co-ordinator of the Hospice project, and the Hospice volunteer, Anil Gupta. Rakesh Sharma assisted with the arrangements at the venue.

The conference not only saw some good coverage in the daily newspapers and TV channels but also brought in some new volunteers who expressed their desire to work for the Hospice in their personal capacities.

The Hospice is grateful to Shri Sunil Dang of Inderlok Hotel, Dehradun, who donated his hotel’s premises and refreshments for the conference purposes.

U.K., London, Sunday, 23rd May, 2010
Sponsored Walk for Ganga Prem Hospice
Maria Annibal and two others raised 82 pounds for the Ganga Prem Hospice by doing a sponsored walk in North London on Sunday 23rd May..

Getting ready for the Sponsored Walk

Says Maria, “Thanks to those who sponsored me. It was a very enjoyable day, the weather was perfect and I do hope that there will be some more interesting walks to come."

India, Rishikesh, May 1st, 2010
Full time nurse starts work in Rishikesh
Ganga Prem Hospice has employed a full time nurse for the Home Care Service in Rishikesh.

Mrs Sicily Kutty Sabastion, a qualified nurse from Kerala, lives in Rishikesh with her husband and two sons. She is an experienced and compassionate nurse and started work with the Hospice on the 1st of May. Her first assignments were to dress the open wound of a male breast cancer patient and join our volunteer Anil Gupta in taking some of our clinic patients for tests and chemotherapy at the Himalayan Institute in Dehradun.

Mrs Sabastion's salary will be paid by the Indo American Cancer Association and as per their stipulation in July she will attend a 6 week palliative care training course at the Trivandum Institute of Palliative Sciences in Kerala.