Hyderabad : While cancer treatment saves lives, the treatment itself is often accompanied by debilitating side effects such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, neuropathy, and emotional distress. Addressing this critical gap in cancer care is Anugnya Holistic Care, an integrative support service created by cancer survivors and caregivers to help patients navigate life during and after treatment.
Speaking at a press conference held at FTCCI, Hyderabad, on Wednesday, founders Sangeeta Bhalla and Viiveck Verma, President, ICF Hyderabad Charter Chapter, shared details of the initiative and the inspiration behind its creation.
Recalling her personal experience, Sangeeta Bhalla said When I came home from the hospital, the weakness would not lift. Walking to the balcony felt like an achievement. I had survived three radical surgeries, one of them life-threatening, yet everyone around me considered the exhaustion and suffering a normal part of recovery. What troubled me most was not the weakness itself, but the belief that nothing could be done about it.
She explained that while modern medicine effectively treats the disease, support for the patient’s recovery journey often remains limited.
“Cancer treatment saved my life, and I remain deeply grateful for it. But recovery extends beyond the treatment itself. Patients continue to struggle with physical and emotional challenges through the entire treatment cycle and long after the disease has been addressed.”
Determined to find solutions, Sangeeta explored integrative care approaches that are widely available at leading cancer centres across the world. Institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have long integrated supportive therapies for example energy medicine, acupuncture and aroma therapy alongside conventional cancer treatment to help patients manage pain, fatigue, stress, and treatment-related side effects.
Inspired by these models, Sangeeta, along with her husband Rajiv Lal and co-founder Viiveck Verma, spent nearly a decade studying and refining holistic healing practices, including energy healing and aromatherapy, into a structured support system that could be delivered consistently and remotely.
“None of us arrived at this through theory,” she said. “We arrived here through our own treatment journeys and personal losses. We built the support system we wished had existed when we needed it most.”
Viiveck Verma’s motivation came from supporting his wife through an 11-year cancer journey and witnessing firsthand the emotional and physical toll experienced by both patients and caregivers.
“Caregiver burnout is real and often invisible. Families carry immense emotional and physical burdens throughout treatment. We wanted to create an institution that supports not only patients, but also the people standing beside them,” says Viiveck Verma.
Today, Anugnya Holistic Care offers a structured ecosystem of support that includes trained healers, a network of oncologists, patient progress tracking, daily online meditation sessions, healing protocols, aromatherapy support, and confidential peer-support groups.
Sharing one such success story, Sangeeta spoke about Irfan, a 21-year-old Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patient who strugled with severe nausea, neuropathy, and pain during chemotherapy.
“Through regular healing sessions and supportive care, his symptoms eased significantly. He was able to eat, rest, and complete all cycles of his treatment. More importantly, his family found emotional support during an extremely difficult period. Irfan is one among many patients who have benefited from this approach.”
The founders emphasized that Anugnya Holistic Care does not replace medical treatment but complements it by focusing on the patient’s ability to withstand the severity of the treatment, overall well-being and quality of life.
“This is the support I could not find when I needed it, so we built it. Anugnya is an institution for cancer patients, of cancer patients, designed by cancer survivors. Patients should not accept the toxicity and side effects of treatment as inevitable. Many of these challenges can be managed with the right support,” Sangeeta added.
Anugnya Holistic Care aims to make integrative cancer support accessible to patients and caregivers across India through its remote and community-based care model.