"Help us make a difference"

The Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation (NDCF) is a non-profit and charitable committed to improving cancer-related medical care in impoverished areas of the Indian subcontinent. The NDCF focuses on providing early diagnosis and treatment of cancer in mostly rural areas. Its funding supports the purchase and deployment of medical equipment, the training of local physicians, and the acquisition and distribution of drugs.

Sunil Dutt, a prominent movie star in the Indian cinema, established this foundation in 1981 in memory of his late wife Nargis Dutt, a famous actress in her own right. While undergoing specialized medical treatment for cancer in New York, Nargis Dutt repeatedly expressed her regret about the lack of such treatment and facilities in the Indian subcontinent. She articulated a dream of providing affordable cancer-related medical care to communities that had no access to even basic diagnostic capabilities. Unfortunately Nargis Dutt did not live to see her dreams realized, herself falling victim to the illness. Sunil Dutt and many others embraced the vision and launched the NDCF to deliver on her wishes.

In rural areas a family can be devastated if the primary breadwinner is incapacitated by cancer, which if not diagnosed early, almost certainly leads to death. The goal of the NDCF is to fund mobile “hospitals” equipped with diagnostic and lab equipment, and medical personnel. These mobile units travel to the towns and villages in a given region, providing a valuable service. Besides treating early cancer cases, they identify patients who require hospitalization and care in the larger cities, which is another service that the NDCF provides funding for.