Nagpur: A woman who battled cancer while struggling with mental health issues was reunited with her father after 10 years on Tuesday, marking a heartwarming Dussehra milestone for the staff of the Regional Mental Hospital.
“The reunion also helped the hospital complete Nanda’s documentation, obtain an Ayushman Bharat card and register her under the state health scheme,” Bidkar said. “This victory is of the mental hospital staffers against cancer and also of Nanda’s, as she had shown much mental resilience,” Bidkar said. With the documentation hurdles addressed, Nanda’s treatment resumed. Doctors, nurses and support staff provided medical care, counselling, food and emotional support. The latest cancer-related test reports came back negative on the eve of Vijayadashami, bringing immense relief to the hospital team.
Nanda (name changed), believed to be from Wardha, had spent several years moving between rescue agencies, NGOs and shelter homes before being admitted to the Regional Mental Hospital in Nagpur on March 19, 2024, through the govt-run Priyadarshini women’s hostel. She was 39 at the time. During routine medical examinations, doctors diagnosed her with cancer on Nov 29, 2024. By July 2025, however, the cost of continuing treatment had become a major concern. On August 7, 2025, he finally reached the hospital and met her after a decade.
Because of financial and family difficulties, initially, he expressed his inability to take her back. With no clear family details, tracing her home proved challenging. She was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where chemotherapy and other treatment began. With no Aadhaar or ration card and her family still untraceable, accessing financial assistance under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana became difficult. Hospital staff, however, continued exploring ways to ensure that her treatment was not interrupted. Bidkar continued counselling him until he agreed to visit his daughter.