Cancer Survivors Launch ‘Anugnya Holistic Care’ to Help Patients Manage Treatment Side Effects
Hyderabad, June 10 (TNT): Cancer survivors and caregivers on Wednesday launched Anugnya Holistic Care, an integrative support initiative aimed at helping cancer patients cope with the physical and emotional challenges associated with treatment and recovery.
Addressing a press conference here, founders Sangeeta Bhalla and Viiveck Verma said the initiative seeks to complement conventional cancer treatment by providing supportive services such as aromatherapy, meditation, caregiver assistance, peer-support groups and other wellness interventions.
“Our complementary healing and aromatherapy support help patients manage treatment-related side effects such as pain, nausea, fatigue and skin irritation,” they said.
The founders said the organisation currently has a network of around 180 trained healers and offers free consultations to patients. Depending on individual needs, patients are provided access to various support services designed to improve their physical and emotional well-being during treatment.
They said the initiative was created to provide holistic support to patients undergoing cancer treatment and to help them maintain the strength needed to continue therapy.
Citing data from the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry of the Tata Memorial Centre, the founders said less than 50 per cent of cancer patients complete their prescribed treatment, with financial difficulties, lack of family support, social stigma and treatment-related challenges among the key reasons for discontinuation.
Sangeeta Bhalla, a cancer survivor and founder of Anugnya Holistic Care, said the initiative emerged from her personal experience of battling cancer and recovering from multiple surgeries.
“While modern medicine successfully treats the disease, patients continue to struggle with fatigue, pain, anxiety, emotional distress and other treatment-related side effects. Integrative care is not about replacing conventional treatment but supporting patients through the cancer journey and helping them recover with dignity,” she said.
Bhalla said she was inspired by integrative care models followed by leading international institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where supportive therapies are offered alongside standard medical treatment.
Co-founder Viiveck Verma, who cared for his wife during her 11-year battle with cancer, highlighted the often-overlooked burden on caregivers.
“Caregiver burnout is real and often goes unnoticed. Families carry enormous responsibilities throughout treatment. We wanted to build a support system not only for patients but also for caregivers,” he said.
Anugnya Holistic Care currently offers guided meditation sessions, aromatherapy support, patient monitoring, healing protocols and confidential peer-support groups through a remote-care model.
Sharing a patient experience, Bhalla cited the case of a 21-year-old Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patient who reportedly experienced relief from severe nausea, pain and neuropathy during chemotherapy through supportive interventions, enabling him to complete the prescribed treatment.
The founders emphasised that the initiative complements, rather than replaces, medical treatment and is intended to improve patient resilience, emotional well-being and treatment adherence.
The organisation plans to expand its community-based and remote support services across India to make integrative cancer support accessible to more patients and caregivers.
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