TRUST - Introduction
The Ganga Prem Hospice project is a project of the Delhi-based Shradha Cancer Care Trust. The Trust is a public charity set up to establish desperately needed cancer care facilities in northern India. Shradha Cancer Care Trust was founded by eminent oncologist Dr A K Dewan from Delhi. Dr Dewan heads the surgical oncology department at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC) in Delhi, India. He has been working with cancer patients for more than 35 years and has been deeply moved by the physical agony and mental anguish which confronts both the patients and their families. The lack of cancer facilities in India, where there are approximately 1,400,000 new cancer cases every year, has been a source of great concern to him. In November 2005, this concern led him to establish the Shradha Cancer Care Trust. The Trust is a public charity dedicated to creating medical facilities in general and in particular cancer and palliative care centres.
About Ganga Prem Hospice
As its first project, Shradha Cancer Care Trust has chosen to create a much-needed hospice for terminally ill cancer patients. The project has been envisioned to provide end-of-life and palliative care to terminally ill patients, particularly those suffering from cancer. All services are provided free-of-charge without any distinction of caste, creed, religion, gender, or the patients’ socio-economic background. Ganga Prem Hospice, which has a spiritual and holistic care orientation, has been constructed in the foothills of the Himalayas, overlooking the river Ganga, near the towns of Rishikesh and Haridwar.
The hospice, which started to admit inpatients in 2017 and is the only service of its kind in the entire state of Uttarakhand, has a 27-bed well-equipped inpatient facility located in Raiwala, Rishikesh, a decade-and-a-half old hospice at home service that spans three cities, and a cancer clinic and cancer screening service.
Ganga Prem Hospice does not charge patients anything for the palliative care services rendered.
SHRADHA CANCER CARE TRUST
Shradha Cancer Care Trust was founded in Delhi in November 2005. The objective of the Trust is to promote much needed cancer and palliative care facilities in North India.
Trust Structure
Mr. DS Negi (IAS Retd)
Chairman
Shri DS Negi is an IAS officer who retired as principal Secretary (Health & Family Welfare), Govt. of NCT of Delhi. He has had a distinguished service record at both state and national level. He has authored many policy documents, reports, articles, travelogues and even books.
Dr AK Dewan, M.S., M.Ch.
Founder Trustee
Dr AK Dewan is Medical Director and Senior Surgeon at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Delhi, India. He is wholeheartedly committed to care of cancer patients and is especially interested in palliative care for patients who are terminally ill.
Dr (Mrs) Rupali Dewan, MD
Founder Trustee
Dr Rupali Dewan is the Senior Gynecologist and Obstetrician in Safdarjung Hospital. This hospital is the biggest Central Government Hospital in India. Dr Dewan is actively involved in health care of underprivileged women.
Dr DC Doval, MD
Member
Dr DC Doval is the Chief of the Medical Oncology Department at Rajeev Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Delhi, India. He is involved in multi institutional clinical research and is especially interested in hospice care. He was awarded the clinical excellence award in the field of Oncology by Wockhardt India Ltd in association with Howard Medical International.
Rajnish Virmani
Trustee
Rajnish Virmani is a Delhi-based chemical engineer and entrepreneur who joined the Shradha Cancer Care Trust board in 2021. He specialises in purification and filtration technologies. Mr Virmani is also an active social and community worker, having roots as a Rotarian, with deep interest in water conservation, skilling, cancer awareness, hospice and palliative care.
Mr D Baijal
Member
Mr Baijal is the marketing manager in a private enterprise, ‘National Peroxide’. He is interested in social service and particularly in helping poor and needy cancer patients.
Nani Ma
Member
Nani Ma is a sadhvi practicing meditation and spiritual study on the bank of the river Ganga. She is interested in the spiritual and emotional welfare of terminally ill cancer patients and their families.
Mr AK Banerjee
Member
Ambassador Arun Kumar Banerjee is an Indian Foreign Services officer, now retired after 38 years of active involvement in India’s diplomatic relations. He has served variously as the Indian ambassador to Greece, Consular General in Sydey, Australia, Deputy High Commissioner in Canada, High Commissioner in Ghana, High Commissioner in the Maldives and in headquarters (Delhi).
Shri Subhash Kumar (IAS Retd)
Member
Shri Subhash Kumar ji has had a distinguished career in the Indian administrative services, particularly in service to the state of Uttarakhand. He has served at the pinnacle of the Uttarakhand state administrative services as the Chief Secretary of the state.
Trust Registration Details
Registration Date: 28 November 2005
Registration Number: 9805
Place of Registration: Delhi, India
Status of Trust
A public charitable institution.
Mission of Trust
To promote cancer care centres, hospitals and diagnostic centres for all kinds of investigations and for treatment of all kinds of illnesses.
GANGA PREM HOSPICE
Trust Structure
Swami Saradananda
Member
Caroline Tautz
Member
Caroline Tautz lives in London, U.K. She has a BA degree in Fine Art and an MA in Dance Studies. She has been teaching yoga since 1996 and also practices as a bodywork massage therapist. She is married with two children and three stepchildren.
Jenny Beeken
Member
Jenny Beeken studied Physics at Exeter University, and then worked in London teaching hospitals and secondary schools in England for the next 9 years. After travelling to India in 1979 and 1981 to study yoga, she started teaching and has since founded a yoga school and written 6 books.
Vikas Mahajan
Member
Vikas Mahajan lives in Manchester. He has completed his schooling from India and came to UK to complete his MBA from Manchester Business School, UK. He currently works with a financial services organisation, is married with 2 children, and has been supporting Ganga Prem Hospice for a number of years.
Trust Registration Details
Registration date: May 2010
Registration number: 1136032
Place of Registration: London, U.K.
Status of Trust
Registered U.K. Charity
Mission Of Trust
To raise funds and find skilled volunteers to help with the Ganga Prem Hospice project in Rishikesh, India.