Anal tumour made it impossible for her to move or sit without pain

Manjulaben Gohil had been silently suffering from anal cancer for the last 40 years, a rare form of tumour that develops at the end of the rectum.



Manjulaben Gohil and her family went to several other hospitals to get her tumour treated, but they all kept postponing the operation

Finally, after four decades of agony, she underwent a surgery that absolved her from the pain in two hours. In the course of time, the size of the tumour had increased to almost 10 kg, making it impossible for her to do routine work, move around or even sit properly.

Gohil, a 56-year-old woman from Ahmedabad, shifted to Mumbai five months ago to stay with her husband, a daily wage labourer. “This problem started when I was 16. We never had enough money for me to even think of visiting a doctor for treatment,” said Gohil. She said that the size of the tumour started increasing in the last eight years.

“I don’t even go out, as I feel ashamed to walk in front of people. The tumour had become so large that it can be seen from behind when I move around,” she added. According to the patient, the men in her family were not aware about the tumour, as neither did they ask her, nor did she ever disclose her condition to them.

However, when she finally told them, her daughter, brother and husband approached Manav Kalyan Kendra, which offers affordable services, in Dahisar. After seeing her case, the hospital decided to provide her treatment without any charges. Rajiv Singhal, its trustee said, “When I see cases like these I feel bad about our country. These are genuine problems of the city. We were happy to provide her treatment at no cost, so that she can finally get rid of the pain she had been living with all these years.”

Rare case

Understanding the seriousness of the case, the doctors decided to start the treatment on priority and operated within two days of admitting her. Dr Bipin C Shah, the surgeon who operated on Gohil, was surprised when he saw the tumour. “This is the first time I have seen such a large tumour of anal cancer. It would have been very difficult for her to even do routine work.”

Before coming to the kendra, Gohil went to other hospitals as well, but they kept postponing her treatment. Gohil’s brother Ramesh Chauhan recalls, “After we found out about her problem, her son, husband and I decided to contribute by working extra hours to save money for the operation.

However, the hospital staff told us they are treating her without taking any money. They are like God’s angels for my sister.” “The people of the hospital are God-sent for me. The staff returned my money that I paid when I was admitted here,” said Gohil.