BALCO Medical Centre (BMC), a leading cancer treatment facility in Central India, has been conferred with the FICCI Healthcare Excellence Award 2025 in the Patient Care and Service Delivery category. The recognition celebrates BMC’s flagship initiative, “Care Beyond Treatment: Holistic Support System for Cancer Patients,” designed to address critical challenges faced by economically weaker and rural patients—covering financial aid, nutrition, lodging, and transportation support to ensure uninterrupted cancer care.
The award was presented by Rajiv Gauba, Member of NITI Aayog and Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, alongside the FICCI Jury. Dr Bhawna Sirohi, Medical Director of Vedanta Medical Research Foundation, accepted the honour on behalf of BMC.
Under the Care Beyond Treatment initiative, BMC has created a strong ecosystem of patient support that goes far beyond medical services. The programme focuses on easing the practical and financial challenges that often interrupt cancer treatment for patients from low-income and rural backgrounds. One of its key features is Sukh Sarai, a 95-bed subsidised accommodation that provides meals, RO drinking water, and transport for patients and their caregivers, ensuring they have a safe and affordable place to stay during treatment.
In addition, the initiative offers free transportation, including e-rickshaws and a dedicated hospital bus that connects major transit points, making hospital visits more accessible. Patients undergoing chemotherapy receive nutritional support through high-protein diets, while a charitable fund bridges gaps in diagnostic and treatment costs not covered by government health schemes. BMC also partners with corporates, NGOs, and charitable organisations to extend the reach of these services and ensure long-term sustainability of the programme.
These efforts have significantly reduced treatment discontinuation rates, improved adherence to therapy, and delivered comprehensive, compassionate care for patients from underserved communities. The FICCI jury commended BMC’s approach, stating that the hospital has “effectively combined advanced clinical care with social responsibility, creating an inclusive model that ensures access to modern cancer treatment for vulnerable populations.”
Dr Bhawna Sirohi remarked, “High-quality cancer care only makes a real difference when it reaches those who need it most. Through Care Beyond Treatment, we ensure no patient abandons therapy due to financial or social hurdles. Being recognised by FICCI is both an honour and a motivation to continue raising the bar in patient care.”
Jyoti Agarwal, Chairperson of Vedanta Medical Research Foundation, added, “We plan to scale this initiative further by expanding Sukh Sarai into a 250-bed Dharamshala, enhancing transport frequency, widening nutritional coverage, and introducing a Mobile Blood Donation Van for patients with thalassemia and sickle cell disease. We also aim to double our screening outreach and intensify cervical cancer elimination efforts across Chhattisgarh. This award inspires us to deepen our impact.”
Established as a 170-bed not-for-profit cancer hospital in Naya Raipur, BMC blends world-class medical expertise with compassion, accessibility, and community engagement—emerging as a preferred destination for oncology care across Central and Eastern India. Vedanta Aluminium, part of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, producing over half of the country’s aluminium output, amounting to 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. As a leader in value-added aluminium products, Vedanta Aluminium plays a crucial role in core industries and holds the top position in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 for the aluminium sector. With state-of-the-art smelters, alumina refineries, and power plants, Vedanta Aluminium drives the adoption of aluminium as the “Metal of the Future” for a sustainable tomorrow.
