New ‘Home Away from Home’ facility to support paediatric BMT patients undergoing treatment at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal Manipal, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir)
Access Life, a registered Indian not-for-profit
organisation committed to ensuring that no child has to abandon cancer treatment due to non-medical challenges, has announced the opening of its new ‘Home Away from Home’ (HAH) centre in Manipal for paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) patients. The centre will be inaugurated on 23rd May 2026 and will support families of children undergoing treatment at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
The center was inaugurated on 23rd May 2026 at the MAHE Campus, Manipal. The inauguration was presided over by Dr. H S Ballal, Pro-Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, with Dr. Ashok Gavande, Philanthropy India Lead, Chellaram Foundation, Mumbai, as the Chief Guest, and Dr. Anand Venugopal, Chief Operating Officer, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, as the Guest of Honor. The event also saw the presence of; Dr. Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal; Dr. Anil K Bhat, Dean, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal; Mr. Harinarayan Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Manipal Foundation and, Dr. Vasudeva Bhat K, Professor and Head, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, MAHE, Manipal; Mr Girish Nair Founder and Chairman and Mr Ankeet Dave, Co-founders and Executive Director of Access Life Assistance Foundation were present on the occasion.
The newly launched 10-unit facility has been specially designed for children undergoing Bone Marrow Transplant procedures, where maintaining a safe, hygienic, and controlled environment is critical due to severely compromised immunity levels during treatment and recovery.
This marks Access Life’s second centre in collaboration with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), further strengthening the shared commitment towards holistic paediatric cancer care and family support services beyond hospital infrastructure.
The initiative is also supported by Chellaram Foundation, a global not-for-profit organisation focused on long-term, impact-driven philanthropy across healthcare, education, humanitarian aid, and child welfare initiatives.
Sharing thoughts on the collaboration Chellaram Foundation said, “Access Life Foundation stands out for its deeply compassionate and highly organized approach toward supporting children and families battling cancer. Their commitment goes far beyond providing accommodation—it creates dignity, stability, and hope during some of the most difficult moments in a family’s life. At Chellaram Foundation, we value institutions where compassion is matched by accountability, and Access Life exemplifies both. We are confident that every contribution made toward their mission translates into meaningful and lasting impact.”
Dr. H. S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, said, “At MAHE, we have always believed that healthcare goes beyond medical treatment. Supporting children and families during difficult times is deeply aligned with the values and vision of our founder, Dr. TMA Pai, who believed that compassionate and accessible healthcare should reach every section of society. We are happy that MAHE could support this meaningful initiative by providing the space for the center, which will help create a safe and caring environment for children undergoing Bone Marrow Transplant treatment. This collaboration reflects MAHE’s larger commitment towards holistic and humane healthcare, where medical excellence is complemented by emotional, social, and family support systems. Facilities like these significantly reduce the burden on families while helping children continue their treatment and recovery with dignity. We appreciate the efforts of Access Life and Chellaram Foundation in strengthening paediatric cancer care support services in Manipal.”
Speaking about the initiative, Girish Nair, Founder and Chairman, Access Life Assistance Foundation, said, “This second centre at Manipal Academy of Higher Education marks another important milestone in our journey of ensuring that no child is forced to discontinue cancer treatment because of non-medical challenges such as accommodation, nutrition, or distance from the treating hospital.
We are deeply grateful to MAHE for once again extending their support by providing the space free of rental, reflecting a strong institutional commitment toward paediatric cancer care beyond hospital walls. We are equally thankful to Chellaram Foundation for supporting this initiative and believing in our vision of holistic childhood cancer care.
Since the inauguration of our first 12-unit centre in Manipal in April 2022, we have supported nearly 350 beneficiaries. With this second centre, we hope to extend this support to many more underprivileged families, helping children not only complete their treatment with dignity, but also recover in a safe, caring, and family-friendly environment.”
Dr. Vasudeva Bhat K, Professor and Head, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, MAHE, Manipal mentioned that, “The new centre further reinforced the departments mission of reducing treatment abandonment and refusal among children with cancer and other serious blood related disorders by addressing the social and logistical barriers that often impact continuity of care thus providing complete holistic care.”
About Access Life
Access Life is a non-profit organisation incorporated under Indian law, established in 2014 to support children from underprivileged backgrounds undergoing cancer treatment. It provides free accommodation, nutrition, transportation, counselling and non-formal education to children and their caregivers who travel from across India to major cities for treatment.
With 14 centres across 10 cities, Access Life supports up to 228 families simultaneously, offering a safe, nurturing environment focused on healing and stability. The organisation is registered under 80G, 12A, CSR-1 and FCRA, and has to date supported more than 10,500 beneficiaries across India.
About Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University. MAHE offers over 400 specialisations across the Health Sciences (HS), Management, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences (MLHS), and Technology and Science (T and S) streams through its constituent units at campuses in Manipal, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur, and Dubai. With a remarkable track record in academics, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and significant contributions to research, MAHE has earned recognition and acclaim both nationally and internationally. In 2020, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, awarded MAHE the prestigious Institution of Eminence status. Currently ranked 3rd in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, MAHE is the preferred choice for students seeking a transformative learning experience and enriching campus life, as well as for national and multinational corporations seeking top talent.
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