“What we do may be a drop in the ocean, but every drop is an ocean to the recipient, making all the difference between lives lived to the fullest and a life wasted”. This is the philosophy that guides us and we believe if every individual did a little bit, all the little bits would create a better world for all, because every life is precious.
Chetana started as that drop. Three women moved by the plight of injured Mumbaikars in the aftermath of the Mumbai riots in 1992 and determined to help alleviate the distress of those who were injured, started visiting GT Hospital in Mumbai. They met the doctors and ascertained which patients needed money for diagnosis or treatment. They reviewed each case with careful compassion, made the funds available for those in need, and then followed up till the cure was affected. Thus was born the ‘Chetana Foundation’ in 1995.
Soon, as the number of volunteers increased, Chetana expanded its activities to more hospitals. Whether a patient needs investigations and tests done or money for medicine and treatment, Chetana takes care of it all. Currently,
several hundred patients (MENTION A FIGURE) are diagnosed and treated, regardless of what they may be suffering from. Couples who already have several children are also given an incentive of Rs.1000 by Chetana, to undergo sterilization. Patients problems could range from HIV to burns to blindness. The list is endless and Chetana does it all – helping to rehabilitate patients, finding homes for orphans and the aged who had nowhere to go, organizing stay for relatives accompanying a sick child, donating wheelchairs, prosthetics and crutches, even sponsoring educational and vocational courses to sustain themselves post their illness.
To date, Chetana operates in Cama & Albless Hospital (cancer ward for women), ENT hospital, St. Georges Hospital, Paraplegic Society, St. Elizabeths Hospital, Tata Memorial and JJ Hospital (pediatric ward).