In 1987, Dr Digpal Dharkar, freshly trained at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, dreamt of setting up a world-class institution for head and neck oncology that offered the latest cancer treatment, particularly to the indigent in India, where cancer is the second-and fourth-highest killer of adults across urban and rural areas.
With a majority of people in rural areas facing economic difficulties only a few were able to afford cancer treatment and often diagnosis was left until it was too late, leading to unnecessary fatalities. With grave hurdles to overcome and the odds stacked against him, Dr Dharkar summoned his deep resolve – and the commitment of like-minded medical professionals – to establish a charitable trust, the Indore Cancer Foundation (ICF), which would help make a difference in head and neck cancer care in India.
Inspiring and deeply moving, The Power of Hope is the compelling tale of Dr Dharkar’s journey into the depths of human empathy and a testimony to just how much we can achieve if only we hold on to hope.
