For Poor Cancer Patients, He is God!

Forsaking his profitable business several years ago, Mumbai’s Harakchand Sawla decided to devote his life to serving free meals to poor patients and their relatives who come to the Tata Cancer Hospital for treatment. Today, his organisation works on more than 30 cancer-related projects.

IN front of the Tata Cancer Hospital at Parel in Mumbai, there always is a long queue of people waiting their turn to gain entry along with a crowd milling on the pavements nearby, most of them cancer patients waiting their turn for diagnosis or treatment or their grim-faced relatives.

Many years ago, a young man in his thirties used to Stand on the footpath opposite this hospital and stare at these people, disturbed by the expressions on their faces — mostly that of fear and anxiety. Most of the patients were poor people from distant towns. They had no idea whom to meet, or what to do. They had no money for medicines, not even food. The young man, heavily depressed, would return home. “Something should be done for these people,” he would say to himself.

And finally, when he could not bear the sight any more, he decided to take it upon himself to reach out with a helping hand. That’s Harakchand Sawla (60) who, for more than three decades, has been providing free meals for cancer patients and their relatives. Sawla earlier was the owner of a profitable hotel but doing business and earning money clearly did not entice him. Instead, he rented it out so that he could devote himself full time to his charity work. Spending his own money, he started the meal service on the pavement right opposite the hospital. Beginning with 50, the number of beneficiaries soon rose to 100, 200, 300, and more. As the numbers of patients increased, so did the number of helping hands. Today, he serves more than 700 people on any given day.