For many families, a cancer diagnosis brings an immediate question: how will they pay for treatment? The cost of consultations, investigations, surgery and subsequent care can be difficult to manage, particularly for households with limited savings or irregular incomes. Some patients delay treatment while their families try to arrange the money.
This is the gap that Cancer Charity Trust (CCT), associated with SSO Cancer Hospital, seeks to address. The trust provides financial assistance to patients who would otherwise struggle to afford cancer treatment. Between April 2025 and March 2026, it supported 537 patients with assistance totalling ₹1,57,37,734. The work involved 65 surgeons and covered 19 categories of surgeries and treatments.
For SSO founder Dr Sanket Mehta, the question of access has always extended beyond clinical care. A treatment plan is of little use if a patient cannot afford to begin it or is forced to stop midway.
When the cost of treatment becomes a barrier
Over the course of his work as an oncologist, Dr Sanket has met patients who needed timely treatment but hesitated because of the expense. For some, the difficulty was paying for surgery. For others, it was the combined burden of tests, hospitalisation, medicines and time away from work.
Cancer also places pressure on the wider family. Savings are depleted, income can be interrupted and relatives often have to make difficult decisions about how to fund care. These experiences helped shape his approach to charitable support.
“I strongly believe that no patient should lose the opportunity to receive quality treatment simply because they belong to an economically weaker section of society.”
The aim of CCT is to help patients facing genuine financial hardship access the treatment recommended by their doctors. The trust works alongside clinical teams while keeping financial assistance subject to its own assessment process.
Dr Sanket also believes that the private sector has a role in improving access to cancer care. Hospitals, individual donors and companies can each contribute, whether through direct treatment support, screening programmes or better diagnostic facilities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding is one possible route for eligible initiatives; the trust’s broader charitable work should be understood on its own terms.
How patients are assessed for support
CCT follows a verification and documentation process before approving financial assistance. The assessment takes into account a patient’s family circumstances, sources of income, financial position and the treatment required.
The purpose is to direct limited funds to patients who need them most. A structured process also helps the trust account for how donations are used and explain its decisions to supporters.
Support is considered against the cost of the proposed treatment and the family’s ability to pay. This matters particularly in cancer care, where a patient may need more than one procedure or a prolonged course of treatment.
Dr Sanket has consistently emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in charitable assistance. The objective is to help patients at the point when financial support can make a meaningful difference to their care.
The impact of financial assistance
In the financial year ending March 2026, CCT provided ₹1.57 crore in assistance to 537 patients. These figures offer a clearer measure of its work than a general statement about charitable intent. They also show why a reliable funding mechanism matters when treatment costs can be substantial.
The assistance helps bridge the difference between what treatment costs and what a patient’s family can afford. Depending on the clinical situation, that may mean making a necessary operation possible, avoiding a delay or helping a patient continue care.
The impact, however, should be assessed beyond the amount disbursed. Relevant questions include whether patients received the recommended treatment on time, whether financial support helped them complete it and whether they could return for follow-up care.
There is also a less visible burden on families. The uncertainty of finding money during a serious illness can be exhausting. Even partial financial support can relieve some of that pressure and allow families to focus on the patient’s treatment.
Bringing healthcare and philanthropy together
Dr Sanket believes that financial sustainability and charitable care can coexist in private healthcare. A hospital needs the resources to maintain clinical standards, retain skilled teams and invest in infrastructure. At the same time, patients with limited means should have a route to seek help.
Philanthropic contributions from individuals and other supporters are an important part of CCT’s work. Donations are directed towards eligible patients after assessment. Clear documentation and responsible use of funds are essential if such support is to continue and grow.
There is an opportunity for companies to participate as well. Subject to the applicable requirements, corporate CSR funding can support cancer awareness, screening, diagnostic access and treatment assistance. Hospitals and charitable trusts can help ensure that such funding is connected to actual patient needs.
The broader principle is straightforward: the ability to pay should not be the only factor determining whether a person can access appropriate cancer treatment.
Support needs to go beyond surgery
Financial assistance for treatment is important, but Dr Sanket sees a larger gap in cancer care. Many people reach specialists late because they are unaware of symptoms, have limited access to screening or cannot afford diagnostic tests. By the time treatment begins, the medical and financial challenges may be greater.
Cancer awareness programmes can help people recognise warning signs and understand when to seek medical advice. Screening camps, including mammography initiatives, can improve access to early detection when they are appropriately planned and followed up.
Yet screening is only the beginning. A person with a suspicious finding may need further imaging, a biopsy, specialist consultation and, eventually, treatment. If that pathway is unaffordable or difficult to navigate, the benefit of screening is limited.
“Early detection must be connected with an affordable treatment pathway. Screening without access to further diagnosis and treatment cannot achieve its full purpose.”
For patients undergoing complex cancer care, the needs can extend to intensive care, chemotherapy, radiation, nutrition, counselling, rehabilitation and regular follow-ups. These requirements often place continuing pressure on family finances. Support systems therefore need to consider the full course of treatment rather than a single hospital visit.
Why collaboration matters
India’s cancer-care challenges are interconnected. Cost is one barrier; awareness, specialist availability, diagnostic access and continuity of care are others. The difficulties are often greater outside major cities, where patients may need to travel for consultations or treatment.
No single hospital or charitable organisation can address all of these gaps. Corporate donors can help fund eligible programmes. Charitable trusts can assess patients and channel assistance. Hospitals must maintain clinical standards and clear records. Public health systems remain central to screening, infrastructure and financial protection.
For CCT, collaboration also creates the possibility of reaching patients beyond a single hospital network. The trust’s work is ultimately about whether people who need treatment can obtain it, wherever that care is delivered.
The road ahead
CCT aims to extend its support to more patients while strengthening the systems needed to assess requests and account for donations. Greater participation from individual donors, institutions and corporate partners could help the trust address a wider range of treatment needs.
Dr Sanket also wants more attention directed towards awareness, screening and diagnostic access, particularly where financial constraints cause patients to seek care late. Equally important is ensuring that patients who enter the system can continue through treatment and follow-up.
The central challenge is practical. Cancer treatment can be complicated, prolonged and expensive. Making it accessible requires clinical expertise, dependable funding and coordination between those delivering care and those willing to support it.
CCT’s work shows what organised charitable assistance can contribute. Its next phase will depend on building that support consistently, measuring its effect on patients and bringing more partners into the effort.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Corporate social responsibility in healthcare must go beyond financial contributions and focus on making quality treatment accessible to everyone. SSO Cancer Hospital’s Cancer Charity Trust highlights how organised financial assistance can help economically weaker patients overcome treatment barriers.
However, cancer care also requires greater investment in awareness, early detection, screening, affordable diagnostics and continued treatment. Corporates, hospitals, charitable organisations and public institutions must collaborate while ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of funds.
Ultimately, CSR should be measured by the difference it makes in people’s lives.
How can more organisations ensure financial hardship never prevents someone from accessing quality cancer treatment?
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