UA receives $1M Gift

The Times of India reports that an Indian-American couple has donated $1 million for the construction of the University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center outpatient facility in Phoenix.

The couple, Dr. Ram, an orthopedic surgeon, and Meera Krishna, made the gift in memory of Meera’s sister, Mandira Jalajakshi, who was a physician practicing in England when she passed away in 2012.

The UA Cancer Center at St. Joseph’s will offer comprehensive cancer services, including infusion, radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, endoscopic radiology, a prevention center, clinical lab space and several specialized cancer clinics.

The five-story, 220,000 square-foot facility – a partnership between the university and St. Joseph’s – is currently under construction and expected to open in September.

The couple, whose two daughters graduated from the UA, said they wanted to give back to the school their children attended, and support UA medical education and research.

“I was very impressed with President Hart’s vision, and we wanted to give back. Education and research in the medical field are very important to us,” a press statement quoted Ram as saying.

In recognition of the Krishnas’ gift, a space in the new center will bear the name of the late Jalajakshi.

Content for this article appeared in The Times of India.