THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Asraya, an all-woman charitable organisation dedicated to supporting cancer patients at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), has entered its 30th year of service. The organisation held its 29th annual general body meeting at the TSSS hall at Vellayambalam on Wednesday.
Gowri Parvathy Bayi, member of the erstwhile Travancore royal family, inaugurated the event.
She highlighted the catastrophic health expenditures that families of cancer patients often face.
“To be healthy is a great luxury. Unfortunately, it has become unaffordable for many,” she said.
Dr Rajaneesh Kumar R, the newly appointed director of RCC, Thiruvananthapuram, spoke about the vital role played by Asraya in providing community services to those affected by cancer.
Santha Jose, the founding president of Asraya, reflected on the organisation’s journey and its impact over the years.
“The children who have benefitted from our work and gone on to achieve respectable positions have started giving back,” she said. Santha founded Asraya in 1996, along with a group of like-minded women, to address the many challenges faced by families burdened by cancer.
During the event, Asraya felicitated 59 women who have completed 25 years of voluntary service. Dr Ajayan P V, professor of ENT at the Government Medical College and son of founding member Padmini Varkey, emphasised the importance of supporting child patients without compromising their dignity.
“It is our duty not to harm their self-respect,” he said.