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SRI SATHYA SAI
INSTITUTE OF HIGHER MEDICAL SCIENCES, WHITEFIELD
The Very Beginning… Nagaratna Rediscovers
Life
The
beaming smile on the face of Nagaratna said it all…a
smile that conveyed an explicable joy, immense
gratitude and wonder – all at the same time. “Can
all this be really true… am I dreaming?” Nagaratna,
the first surgery patient of the Sri Sathya Sai
Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield,
kept wondering after she was discharged from the
Hospital with the hole in her heart fixed.
18-year
old Nagaratna never had imagined that somebody would
be interested in improving her condition looking at
her father’s purse, or the lack of it. Her father, a
typical poor Indian farmer, battered by erratic
seasons and beaten by poverty from Sipili village of
Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, never ever
contemplated taking his daughter to a super
specialty Hospital, forget getting her treated. When
someone told him of Baba’s Hospital, he too, like
many, never believed about the free treatment part,
until… when he came face to face with the huge
mansion that was the Hospital, stepped inside and
experienced that the hearts of the people serving
inside were equally large.
He
immediately felt at ease when he and his daughter
were greeted with smiles by everybody from the
registration clerk to the doctor. On the day of her
surgery, the nurses, the technical officers, the
doctors…all seemed so interested in her, “It was a
like a family affair, I never felt I was alone…
everybody was with me, concerned about me,” says
Nagaratna now recalling her days in the Hospital.
Her father lost all anxieties when he saw his
daughter going to the operation theatre smiling and
later the Hospital staff reassuring him, “Do not
worry…She is going to be alright...it’s only a
matter of few hours...Baba will take care.”
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The First
Surgery of SSSIHMS, WF in Progress...
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The First
Patient in Smiles After the Operation as
Baba Looks at Her...
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Looking
at her cheery face nobody would have said that she
had undergone a heart operation just a few hours
ago, the nurses attending on her say. Her joy was
doubled when Bhagawan Baba Himself visited the ICU
just the next day of her surgery and as He gently
moved, cast a kind loving glace on her and then
raised His hands in blessing! Nagaratna was never
the same again.
You
could see an all new Nagaratna on the day of her
discharge - the spring in her step, the smile on her
lips and the confidence on her face to now face life
boldly and bravely – it was as if she got a great
blessing unexpected! She was now going to study with
renewed vigour.
The Magnificent Mansion of Hope
A casual
look at the corridors and corners of the Hospital on
any typical day will show you so many such
Nagaratnas, whose existence society barely
acknowledges, let alone comes to their aid, who have
stepped into this magnificent mansion of hope and
received help, health and more importantly,
confidence.
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Sri
Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical
Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore
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Raju
Das, the son of a factory worker from the state of
West Bengal and currently an under graduate student,
who had lost vision in both his eyes because of a
brain tumour, having regained his vision, now says
he will continue his graduation and will someday do
a Ph.D!
When 20
days old Afsath was diagnosed with a hole in her
heart, her father, a street hawker, and mother, a
servant maid, did not know where to turn to for
support. They were simply devastated! It was as if
someone had slapped a capital punishment on them for
eternity…they knew they could never garner the
astronomical amount their kid’s surgery demands.
Years rolled by and they had accepted their fate
until one day… when they met one of Baba's devotees.
He told them about Baba’s Hospital in Whitefield.
They did not have enough money even to travel to
Whitefield! They bought the tickets with borrowed
money! Today, Afsath in the pink of her health and
with a benign smile on her face, says, “I want to
become a doctor!” Isn’t it stirring?
“It’s a Magnificent Palace-Cum-Temple” – Sri
A B Vajpayee, Former Prime Minister of India.
There is
no dearth of such heart-touching stories in this
‘heaven of health’ for the poor…so many such
Nagaratnas, Rajus and Afsaths have come in hundreds
and thousands since this Hospital came into
existence on the 19th of Jan, 2001. All these
beautiful people have left behind tales for all of
humanity, each one more soul-stirring than the
other. On the inauguration day, five years ago, the
then Prime Minister of India, Sri A B Vajpayee had
said, “It is no Hospital or hi-tech Hospital, it is
a magnificent palace-cum-temple.”
Yes, it
is a palace…a ‘palace for the poor’ and a ‘temple of
healing’ for all. What makes this Hospital so
special? For this, let’s go down the memory lane of
time to the very first day of this Hospital and
listen to the words of Bhagawan Baba, the divine
initiator and the sole inspiration of this wonderful
edifice.
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Swami
with Sri A B Vajpayee to His right
during the Inauguration Ceremony of
SSSIHMS, WF
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Bhagawan
Baba had said on the day of the Inauguration,
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“This (Hospital) is not operating for
financial gains. All medicines here will
be free. Doctors should understand that
it is not medicines alone but God’s
grace that cures patients. While
this building is imposing from the
outside, it will also confer inner
bliss. This Hospital has a divine
quality that will draw the whole world
to it. We should see to it that there
are no heart diseases (at least) in
Karnataka.
Doctors
should win over the minds of the
patients by talking to them with
compassion and concern, the diseases are
half cured when the doctors win over the
minds of patients by talking to them
with love and consideration. The doctors
should administer the injection of
courage and encouragement.
Compassion is more important than money.
Some doctors wonder how we can treat
patients free of charge. You can work
wonders with purity of heart. Any work
which is started with purity of heart is
bound to succeed. Money flows if your
work is suffused with love and
Sacrifice. People will volunteer with
adequate funds to support any noble
endeavour.”
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The Divine Declaration Unfolding…
And true
to Baba’s words, since its inception the Hospital
has operated on more than 11,000 patients with
various heart, brain and spinal disorders, all
absolutely free! In the words of Michael Nobel,
Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Family Society
and great grandnephew of Alfred Nobel, who visited
the Hospital on 19th Jan, 2002,
“A truly remarkable
achievement! A one of a kind
combination of hi-tech, state of the
art medical facility offering the
top-of-the-line treatment for free
to the masses of the people who
would never normally have such a
chance in life. An awe-inspiring
achievement! Thank
you (Baba) on behalf of mankind.”
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Michael Nobel
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A little
more than a year ago, Dr. Fazilah Allahdin, Deputy
Director, Ministry of Health, Malaysia, visited the
Hospital, and before taking leave she wrote this in
the visitors’ book,
“It has been
a privilege to visit this Hospital where
there is so much devotion, passion and
love. It makes me realise that
money is not everything after all. Keep
up the good work and continue to serve
the people! God bless all of you.”
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Dr. Fazilah Allahdin
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Devotion, passion and love. Yes, this is the bedrock
on which patient care in this Hospital stands!! The
treatment of a patient has essentially no
relationship with the economic soundness or social
background of the patient. His/her religion, country
or culture too does not matter.
Sukriti Sharma, an eight-month-old baby girl from
Kathmandu, Nepal, underwent a surgery to correct a
congenital cardiac defect – totally free in 2003. P
N Mishra, a 56-year old man from Nimapara, a village
in the state of Orissa, India, had a heart valve
replaced without paying a single penny, a few months
ago. Jim from Trinidad chose to fly down to the
South Indian City of Bangalore for a by-pass surgery
instead of heading for the US or London.
COSTS
AND PATIENT CARE
What’s Special in Baba’s Hospital?
Why are
people from different regions and countries
converging in this Hospital? Is it only because it
is totally free? Partly, yes. The poor come here
because they just cannot afford to go anywhere else.
We know how expensive specialized healthcare is! A
simple heart procedure anywhere in India will cost
between Rs. 50,000 to 1,50,000. Same with closing a
hole in the heart, or correcting a valve and many
other such operations, while a heart valve
replacement will be close to Rs. 2,00,000. If you
take the case of Neuro-Surgery which demands very
high skills from surgeons dealing with the nerves
and tissues inside the brain, surgeries range from
Rs. 1,00,000 to 3,00,000. But, Baba’s Hospitals,
both in Bangalore and Puttaparthi, are perhaps, the
only Hospitals in the world which run without a
billing system!
Many
wonder, how is it possible? The same question was
asked by Felix Wust (Mr. FW), editor of SWISS MED -
The Swiss Review for Medicine and Medical Technique
- to Dr. A N Safaya (Dr. ANS), Director of the
Hospital, in an interview few months ago. Here are
Dr. Safaya's words.
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Dr.
Safaya, The Director of SSSIHMS, in
conversation with Felix Wust, Editor of
SWISSMED
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SWISSMED
27, (2005) Nr. 1
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Mr. FW: When you spoke about the
medical disciplines in your hospitals you said you
provide the treatment completely free. This is
rather astonishing. I may say almost unbelievable –
and not everybody’s cup of tea in our Western
countries!
Dr. ANS: I
expected this question. The free treatment is mainly
possible due to donations – small and large
donations – made by the devotees of Sathya Sai Baba
from all over the world. These donations go into a
Trust which is called the Sri Sathya Sai Medical
Trust. This Sri Sathya Sai Medical Trust has a
certain amount of money placed in the banks as its
corpus fund that supports the day-to-day activities
of both our hospitals. The two hospitals require
about 2 crores of Rupees every month. Of course, a
rigid cost control, cost engineering and continuous
innovation help us cut the costs. In addition to
these donations, some people make contributions (in
kind) for a particular purpose.
MR. FW: And you do not take any direct
action in acquiring such donations?
Dr. ANS: No, we don’t, they just come.
You need a Sathya Sai Baba to
be in the centre of this picture. Without him, all
this would probably not have been possible."
But the
completely free treatment aspect is only, as
previously mentioned, part of the story. The most
important other half is the quality of care –
technologically and otherwise offered at the
Hospital.
INSPIRED
STAFF AND PATIENT CARE
It’s Not Just Free, It’s of High Quality!
Mr.
Lalitbhai Vadilal Parekh, from Pune, India who
underwent a heart operation in the Hospital a few
months ago, says,
“After seeing all the facilities available there, I
felt as if I was in a 5 star hotel and not a
Hospital. What a beautiful and imposing building it
is! It is equally clean, well ventilated and
comfortable.The volunteers, doctors and nurses greet
you with an “Om Sri Sai Ram” in a polite manner and
are always ready at your service. It feels like one
has come into a temple.”
Two years ago,
when Lalitbhai developed chest pain, he
underwent angiography (a diagnostic test) in
a local Hospital paying Rs. 20,000 and he
was told he would need a bypass surgery. His
condition worsened with time and he would
become breathless while walking. When he did
another test in 2003, he drowned in distress
because the local doctors told him to get
the surgery done in a matter of 8 days!
Approximate cost of surgery – Rs. 2,00,000!!
Knowing fully
well he could never afford the treatment,
Lalitbhai tried other alternative medicine
such as homeopathy, but all in vain. It was
at this time that he learnt about Baba’s
Hospital. Successfully operated upon and now
immensely glad and grateful, Lalitbhai,
wrote in “Jain Jagruthi” (July 2004 Issue),
a Marathi magazine from Pune,
“In this
Hospital patients are looked after just like
guests. There is a spirit of service to
mankind in each one of the staff members.
They do their service in a most selfless and
devoted manner. Honestly, I felt and saw God
in each one of them in this ‘Kaliyug’….All
treatments are absolutely free! Each patient
who goes there is given friendly and polite
service by the staff that is always so
courteous.” |
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Recalling the kind attention given by doctors, he
further adds, “After a 45 minute angioplasty…I was
discharged within a day. The doctors advised
me about the course of action to be taken in future,
the care, diet and exercise and also about keeping a
philosophical attitude in life as that leads to
one’s progress. It was as if, I had been reborn
again.”
Tremendous Commitment – Be it Doctors or
Nurses
Truly,
it is the dedication and passion with which the
doctors and nurses work, that distinguishes this
Hospital. For example, when Joseph (name changed)
was operated upon for a complex Neuro Surgical
procedure called "Aneurysm clipping", the Neuro
Surgeon was in the Operation Theatre for – hold your
breath - 20 hours! He did not come out for a sip of
coffee or even water! And the amazing part is that
when the surgery was finally over, the surgeon chose
to go to the wards and do his regular rounds seeing
the progress of the post operative patients and
giving instructions to the nurses. Only after he had
done this to his satisfaction, did he go to have
some food and catch some sleep! Any Hospital with
doctors like this would do wonders, wouldn't it?
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A Cardiac
Surgery in progress...
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Neuro
Surgeons at work...
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It is
not only the doctors; the nurses and all the other
support staff are equally an enthused lot. The
mission and inspiration of Baba rubs on all of them.
There are so many instances when the nurses have
given money from their own purse for the patient to
return home because they are so poor! There are
patients who come to the Hospital selling their land
and property just to pay for the travel expense and
all the staff in the Hospital are very sensitive to
their problems. When the barber who was meant to
shave the head of a patient meant for neuro surgery
could not make it in time, one nurse did not
hesitate to don the barber’s role! Nothing is
inferior or mean when it comes to patient’s welfare.
Nobody
asks the nurses to get comics for kids or walkmans
for youngsters in the ward. They just do it. In
fact, when one patient wanted petroleum jelly for
her skin, a nurse did not hesitate giving her own
cold cream! There are hundreds of daily incidents
like this…all small but the impact on the patient is
never small. They feel the Hospital is another home.
In fact,
there are many patients - Abduls and Anands – who
have shed tears during their discharge. For,
dieticians in which other Hospital will come three
times a day and ask you if the food is ok, if you
wanted any change in your menu and explain to you
why you have to take a particular diet - and that
too, all free!
Where
else will you find volunteers eager to help in every
activity inside the Hospital including taking you to
the bathroom, even if it is in the middle of night!
No wonder, for poor patients, it is nothing less
than a paradise.
“It’s
Alladin’s Magic Lamp for the Poor” –
Lalitbhai, a Former Patient
Lalitbhai, the
former patient, continues to say, “For
receiving all the care, I did not have to
shell out a single penny. Along with this, I
also got a ‘Rate Concession Form for Heart
Patient’ as a result of which my railway
fare was only one-fourth. Thus, I was
benefited greatly by this form, I doubt if
there is any other organization that does so
much.”
Before he ended
his article, Mr. Lalitbhai clearly spelt out
why he had written those words saying,
“The
organization and management of such an
institute is truly an example for the
world to follow. This is truly a god
sent boon for the needy … it is a magic
lamp – Alladin’s magic map - for people
suffering from heart and brain diseases
in this age and I myself have
experienced this, an experience that
changed my life.
I feel that
everyone should benefit from such
selfless work. This is the reason behind
writing this article.”
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Kids Can Play In The
Wards Too!
A playground for kids in the
ward designed and maintained by
the nurses. |
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It is this familial care
which has changed so many lives and which
continuously draws people from far and
beyond to this Hospital. The Hospital makes
no publicity on its own. The good word
spreads. In fact, a Nepal Newspaper “The
Rising” carried an article “Sathya Sai
Institute – In the Service of Mankind”
mentioning how so many Nepalese have been
touched by the loving care delivered in the
Hospital. |
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South
African newspaper "The Citizen" (left)
and Nepalese Newspaper "The Rising"
carry good news about Baba's Hospital
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Similarly, a South African paper, “The Citizen”
reported six months after the inauguration of the
Hospital in 2001, “While South Africa struggles with
a public health service which is turning into a
nightmare – cruelly selfish nurses, thieving doctors
and hospitals which breed infection….a medical
miracle is taking place in India which should serve
as an inspiration and an example to us….They
demonstrate that simultaneous compassion and
efficiency in healthcare is not a pipedream.”
“Patient is a Full Human Being, Not a
Disease’ – Dr. Sreedhar
This
Hospital is truly a dream turned into reality. It is
what men of great character and concern for people
like Gandhiji and Swami Vivekananda had envisaged
for India. A structure which not only heals the
body, but also quietens the mind and energizes the
soul.
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“The
unique aspect of this Hospital is that,
in all departments, patients are treated
as a full human being rather than as a
disease. The philosophy of ‘love all
serve all’ rubs on all who work in the
Hospital and every member of the staff
tries to help the patients in their own
way starting from guiding
them to the right place in the Hospital
till helping them to find an
accommodation for their over night stay,
giving priority to out-station poor
patients. Nothing but Swami’s blessings
enable us in doing this pious task with
such contagious zeal,” says Dr.
Sreedhar, the Chief Radiologist of the
Hospital.
Bhagirath from
New Delhi who had her only daughter’s valve
replaced here a few months back says, “The
treatment here is not only for the body but
also for the mind.” This happens because of
a number of salient features of the Hospital
starting with technologically high quality
patient care to the dedicated team of
doctors and volunteers to the sublime
spiritual ambience of the Hospital. |
SOPHISTICATED
TECHNOLOGY AND PATIENT CARE
Often
ill-informed people jump to conclusions that
as the treatment given is totally free (the
patient is not asked money for anything even
for food), the treatment in this Hospital
must be substandard. The fact is though that
the Hospital is counted among the best in
Bangalore, the “Silicon Valley” of India and
it has many firsts to its credit as far as
patient care and medical infrastructure is
concerned. Baba often says, “Since it is
free, it should be the best.” And best it
is, no doubt, equipped with the most modern
medical equipment available in the field of
Cardiology and Neuro Sciences. Just to give
a few instances -
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The
Stealth Neuro Navigation
System (for image guided
surgery), the latest
technology in precision
neuro surgery which borrows
its concept from the Global
Positioning System
technology used to map
geographical dimensions
using satellites, arrived at
the Hospital just a few
months after its
inauguration and is being
used by the Neuro Surgery
team of the Hospital.
Many
would not know that the
Hospital is the first in
Asia and second in the world
to have such a sophisticated
facility. This facility
makes the surgery safe,
especially in cases where
the tumour is close to the
speech or other critical
areas of the brain. “This
makes the procedure less
invasive and the skull won’t
be cut beyond what is
required,” says, Dr. A S
Hegde, the Head of Neuro
Surgery Department of the
Hospital.
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Similarly, the
Neuro-interventional
catheterization lab (or in
short Neuro Cath Lab), with
its biplane feature, allows
for imaging in two planes
simultaneously and ensures
that the contrast dose to
the patient is kept to a
minimum. Only a few select
Hospitals in India have
this.
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Coming
to Radiology, the 1.5 Tesla GE Signa
Horizon Lxi MRI system used for MRI
scans is at the forefront of medical
imaging technology and is one of the
few available in India. This helps
in efficient diagnosis and faster
cure as it is a crucial aid in
diagnostic radiology and allows high
resolution images with a shorter
exam time.
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The GE Signa 1.5 tesla
machine: One of the few in
India
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Volume Zoom Multidetector
Multislice CAT scanner
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Again,
the CT scanner which is a Volume
Zoom Multidetector Multislice CAT
scanner represents a new generation
in Computerized Tomography (CT)
technology and is the first such
installation in South India. Its
amazing speed and resolution allow
for highly accurate imaging,
particularly of vascular structures,
and the cardiology department has
performed some very high quality CT
angiograms (visualization of blood
vessels). Likewise, the dual-headed
SPECT Gamma camera present in the
Hospital is the latest technology in
the field of Nuclear Medicine, which
is equipped to detect functional
abnormalities in heart and in the
brain non-invasively.
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Moving on to the
Laboratory, the
Biochemistry department
has a Beckman Coulter
cx9 ALX clinical system
which can perform the
tasks of 7 to 8 testing
machines and can analyze
900 bio-chemical tests
per hour! This speed
enables doctors can
diagnose the patients
better and quicker.
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Similarly, the blood
bank of the Hospital
operates a Blood
Componenting system
which separates the
various components of
blood like plasma,
platelets and red cells
under sterile conditions
and then stores them at
specific temperatures
for use during
operations - a practice
performed only in
premier Hospitals.
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Beckman Coulter cx9 ALX -
900 lab tests per hour!
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Only those components
that are of therapeutic
value to the patient are
transfused. As a result
of this the blood bank
makes optimum
utilization of the blood
donated. For example, in
the period of 10 months
(Jan-Oct 2003) the blood
bank collected 3,141
units of blood but they
were able to prepare
many more components,
namely 4,714. One will
be surprised to know
that this blood bank
receives 98% of its
stock through donations
which perhaps happens in
no other hospital in
Bangalore, or maybe even
in India.
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Ably
assisting all this
sophisticated equipments
is a robust IT
(Information Technology)
system and network.
With a 1 Gbps fiber
optic cable which
networks the entire
Hospital and the
ancillary buildings, the
network has the
potential to enable
doctors to access the
vital signs of the
patients even from the
their home. There are
close to 10 servers and
80 client computers
connected to the
network.
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The Hospital
Management Information
System, MEDICOM,
comprising of over 60
modules, not only
enables easy patient
tracking,
fast access of the
patient information,
from anywhere in the
Hospital, but also
enables some of the
medical equipment to
‘talk’ with the
computers thereby
allowing the doctors to
order tests, see
results, etc. online.
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In fact,
comparing the IT deployment in the
Hospital with other hospitals in
Bangalore, the Times of India,
India’s largest English daily, said,
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"Times of India"
praises SSSIHMS,
WF's
IT Deployment
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“According to an independent
healthcare consultant firm, 75%
of the tech deployment in the
city’s healthcare sector is
focused on administrative
activities, including billing
and patient management. There is
no emphasis on customer
relationship and systems
integration…the study
found the highest tech
deployment in Sathya Sai
Institute of Higher Medical
Sciences.” There are
good reasons for this assessment
by the consulting firm and here
are a few highlights of how the
Hospital has effectively
embraced IT in delivering better
patient care.
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Unlike conventional
procedure where CT and
MRI images are printed
on films, in this
Hospital all the scanned
images are
electronically
transmitted to the
doctor’s desktop PC
immediately upon
completion of the scan
by the Radiology
department. Not only
does this help in speedy
and effective diagnosis,
it also reduces
consumption of films by
90%, which is a huge
saving!
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On the same lines, all
the blood samples are
bar-coded and fed
directly into the
electronic analysers in
the lab.
On successful completion
of the ordered tests,
the analysers feed the
results directly into
the patient management
software which displays
the results directly to
the requesting
doctor/nurse without any
human intervention, and
more importantly,
without any loss of time
which is so important.
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Similarly, a
lot can be said about the indigenously
developed sophisticated stores
management system which enables all the
sub-stores to maintain a very lean
inventory and also place their indents
to the main store electronically; or,
the intuitive software interface
designed specially for the doctors which
mimic the usual pre-printed forms which
doctors are accustomed to; or, the
speedy electronic collation of all the
information relevant for the discharge
summary of the patient and hence a quick
discharge report; or even the reliable
and effective patient wait-list
management (uniquely this Hospital has a
waiting list for surgeries because of
the enormous number of people it
receives everyday).
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Dr. Nandita Ghosal,
In-Charge of Blood Bank,
says, “The laboratory
has become “paperless”
as the results of
patient blood profiles
and a host of other
tests directly go into
the patient information
system from the
automated coulter cell
counter and other
machines and the
information is available
for all the doctors to
see in any computer all
over the Hospital.”
But
that is not what Dr. Nandita
says is unique to the Hospital,
“The sophisticated equipment
along with the pleasant ambience
here makes blood donations a
pleasant experience for the
donors.” The Hospital donor
statistics (98% by volunteer
donors) bear testimony to this
fact.
Through word of mouth and with
little or no publicity, Sai
devotees, students from various
colleges and even corporate
executives from in and around
Bangalore most willingly drop in
and offer to contribute their
blood. In fact, there are
instances when former patients
of the Hospital who are very
poor have come forward to offer
blood saying,
“We
are very poor…this is the only
way we can give something back
to this Hospital.”
Of course, the blood bank never
accepts blood from former
patients, but those scenes
remain ever fresh in the memory
of the staff, inspiring them and
giving them a sense of
fulfillment. |
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A Blood Bank store
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PATIENT TRANSFORMATION ALONG WITH
PATIENT TREATMENT
What
the Visiting British MPs Said
A
little more than a year ago,
when eight British Ministers of
Parliament (MPs) from the
Conservative Party visited the
Institute on 28th of September,
2004, the delegation spent close
to two hours visiting the
Institute.
They
went around the outpatient
departments, wards, radiology,
lab and blood-bank and finally
Mr. Peter Luff, Conservative
Party MP and the Opposition Whip
said to the Press reporters,
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“This Hospital is a
beacon of hope for the
economically weaker
sections and it is as
good as any facility in
the UK.”
- Mr. Peter Luff,
Conservative Party, MP. |
Further, very appreciative of
the architecture of the
Hospital, they said, this
Hospital “changes the lives of
those who come here.” Indeed,
innumerable are stories of
people - be it a patient, a
patient-attender or just a
visitor – who have left this
Hospital recharged with life and
energy, and reconnected with the
inner recesses of their own
being. |
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British MPs With Dr.
Safaya, the Director
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Lives Changed…Some More Vignettes
Sabeena’s
father, who washes dishes in
a restaurant for a living,
toils hard to provide
education to his
thirteen-year-old, his only
daughter. When she
complained of poor health,
his agony was unimaginable.
Someone told him of Baba’s
Hospital, and the rest is
history…Sabeena, is now in
all smiles after a
successful closure of hole
in her heart and a Mitral
Valve repair. His father’s
joy is, in fact, doubled.
His only child has got a new
life!
There is a unique case in the
Hospital records pertaining to
three members of a Muslim
family—two sisters and one
brother—all three suffering from
congenital heart disease.
Imagine the plight of the poor
father with three out of four
children suffering from a malady
that can be cured only by
medical intervention. |
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Sabeena with her
mother...yet another life
saved
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All three of
them had breathing problems and
difficulties while walking. The
condition was diagnosed to be Patent
Ductus Arteriosus, commonly called PDA.
Like any disease its progress only
foretold a limited quality of life for
all the three children. The father was
absolutely clueless. He ran from pillar
to post to raise funds for his children.
He took them to Mangalore, about 80 kms
away from his town to consult a
Cardiologist. It was at this juncture,
that he came to know about Sri Sathya
Sai Institute of Higher Medical
Sciences, Bangalore. He brought all his
three children to the Hospital in 2001
for check ups and treatment. All these
three children were operated upon for
PDA and now they are all healthy and
happy and of course, very grateful to
the Hospital.
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“I
had never even dreamt of
leading a normal life,”
is all Savitha, aged 40,
would say with a choked
voice. Savitha could not get
married because of her heart
ailment and lives with her
younger brother’s family
while her elder brother is
mentally retarded.
The successful operation on
her rheumatic heart disease
has now opened up for her a
host of opportunities and
now she is planning her
future and looking for a job
which will to some extent,
at least, better their
tragic condition.
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"I had never even dreamt..."
- Savitha
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“An
Overwhelming Experience!” – Tina Ambani
Tina
Ambani, former actress and wife
of corporate czar, Anil Ambani,
wrote in the visitor’s book on
31st July 2004:
“It has been an overwhelming
experience! I am speechless,
expressionless. Your
devotion to humanity is
unreal - till you see it,
experience it. May god give
this vision to more people.”
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“I
Will Not Hesitate For Even My Family
Members To Get Help Here.” – Dr. Lalit
Chauhan
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Dr
Lalit Chauhan, Cardiology
Consultant from St Louis,
Missouri in the USA says,
“My five days here was my
first visit to this unique
institution.
This
place combines in the most
comprehensive way
professional tertiary care,
arranging healthcare
delivery system and a set of
uniquely dedicated
individuals working
selflessly,” says Dr.
Lalit Chauhan, “the
quality of care here is so
good and up to the best
institutions that I will not
hesitate for even my family
members to get help if they
happen to be here and need
it. May the reality of this
place be a role model for
the rest of the world.”
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Hundreds Transformed Everyday…
Everyday
hundreds of such people find new meaning
in their lives, sport a smile which they
haven’t for years and thank God that
this Hospital exists. This Hospital
indubitably changes them for ever, for
the better. Some begin to live a fuller
life while some begin to rethink about
the actual purpose of life.
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So many lives changed...so
many smiles
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Ask Ahmed
the bus driver who after his operation
expressed his desire to help transport
patients to the Hospital. Ask Dilip, who
refused to go back to his profession as
a butcher after his little Sharira Bhanu
was operated here. Ask the student who
returned again and again to physically
assist other patients as they
recuperated after surgery. "I know how
it feels" was his simple reply.
It is the
blend of aesthetic appeal, functional
effectiveness, practical efficiency and
spiritual sublimity, as the Hospital
brochure states, which consciously and
subconsciously touches and leaves a mark
in the inner recesses of every one who
steps into this hallowed Temple of
Healing.
Before the British MPs left,
they penned down in the
visitors’ book: “Thank you for
giving us such a fascinating
tour of a truly extraordinary
Hospital.”
“An Impressive
Healthcare Facility” – Ferid
Murad, Nobel Laureate
Ferid Murad, Nobel Laureate in
Medicine, 1998 from the
University of Texas Medical
School at Houston, USA also had
similar feelings to express.
After he took a tour of the
Hospital and its work, he said
on Nov 18th, 2003,
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“Thank you for the
tour of your
Hospital and
clinics. This is a
very beautiful and
impressive
healthcare facility
that promises free
medical care. I
congratulate the
Hospital and Swami
for such an
important mission.”
- Ferid Murad, Nobel
Laureate, 1998.
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SUBLIME AMBIENCE AND PATIENT CARE
“Healthcare in God’s Service” – Dr.
Mitchell Krucoff
Dr.
Mitchell W Krucoff, Professor of
Medicine/Cardiology,
Interventional Cardiology, Duke
University Medical Centre and
Director, Cardiovascular
Laboratories, Durham VA Medical
Centre, (both in the US) visited
Baba’s Hospital along with his
team of professionals and this
is what he records,
“We
literally were bathed in the
healing space created
through Baba’s loving
vision, embedded in every
detail from the concrete to
the gleaming marble floors,
in every person from the
staff to the patients and
their families. What we saw
was the highest level of
technology, with some
equipment even newer than
the equipment we use at Duke
Medical centre. But the
technology was dwarfed by
the context into which
everything in the Hospital
dwelled – healthcare in
God’s service.
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Among the
staff, whether cleaning or cooking or
doing open heart surgery, all work was
done in God’s service. Among the
patients and families, many of whom had
never seen a plumbing fixture, much less
a digital cardiac catheterization
laboratory, there was no fear, no
anxiety, no depression as we commonly
see on rounds in the USA. As we rounded
in…every patient and family member,
children and adults, literally beamed at
us. They clearly knew that, physically
and spiritually, they were in God’s
Hospital.”
This extract
truly sums up the ambience of the
Hospital. It is this ambience which is
responsible for the Hospital’s success
and which has been ratified by almost
everyone who has seen and been in this
‘Temple of Healing’ including visiting
doctors and experts.
Conversation Between Dr.
Nadana Chandran and Dr.
Choudhury V
It
is interesting to learn what Dr.
Nadana Chandran (Dr. NC),
Director of the Neurosurgical
Unit, Canberra Hospital,
Australia, who spent 2 1/2 weeks
in 2005 serving in the
Neurosciences Department, said
in an interview with Dr.
Choudhury V (Dr. VC), another
distinguished Cardiac surgeon,
from USA.
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Dr. NC:
I walked into the
ward the other day
after we did some
major cases and I
was amazed at the
state of recovery of
the patients; it was
far ahead of what I
would normally see.
This is no
exaggeration. This
is purely something
very striking in
this place. People
recover that well. I
am sure it is all
the Grace of Swami.
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Dr. Nadana Chandran
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Of
course there is the human skill
of the people who are working
here, and dedicating themselves
to the work here, but there’s
something beyond that, of
course.
Dr. VC:
The other thing (apart from
‘divine grace’) which impressed
me when I used to actively work
here, was the fact that the
patient does not have to pay any
money, everything comes free to
him, and when he came in he
looked at himself and everybody
else in a different way. How do
you view that?
Who Says There is “No
Free Lunch” – Dr. Choudhury
Dr. NC: I come from
an environment where medicine is
largely driven by money. And,
here you see for the first time
somebody who can walk in and
have the most highly advanced,
technologically sophisticated
service available with no worry
about any money and I am amazed
to see people coming all the way
after 3 days’ travel, from
Calcutta and other places to get
the treatment done.
Dr. VC:
Till 2001, I used to practise
cardiac surgery in Los Angeles
and I used to work for 3 months
in Swami’s Hospital. Now the
thing that amazed me was
technologically, over here, even
simple things like blood
cardioplegia which is a
technological advancement, we
would do exactly the same thing
in Swami’s Hospital. Our
tendency is to normally
associate something free to be
cheap. That was my impression.
When I came here I found that
the “No free lunch” concept in
totally untrue in this
environment. |
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"Toddlers' Only" Zone
In The
Out Patient Department
In the recent times, the
Hospital has
“reengineered” its
processes in the Cardiac
Out Patient department –
Indubitably, the most
crowded place in the
Hospital everyday
mid-morning where on an
average at least 220
patients and their
attenders, await for
various tests, reports
or consultation.
For
the toddlers, there is a
“Toddlers Only” zone
where their mothers can
nurse them and they can
‘relax’ and play with
interactive soft toys
(which, incidentally
have been sent by
Bhagawan Baba Himself
recently).
This room has been done
up with colourful wall
paper, cartoons and
stickers, entirely by
the staff of the
department. It is now a
hot-favourite amongst
the tiny-tots!
Apart from this, there
are audio-visual systems
set up in patient
waiting areas and
various films of
Bhagawan, His discourses
and proceedings during
various festivals in
Puttaparthi are being
shown. This medium is
also used to screen
videos on
patient-education,
counseling, preventive
medicine, and so on in
regional languages. |
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Dr.
NC: In fact, I must confess
that we don’t have some of the equipment
in the Theatres here, in many of the
Hospitals in Australia. So, it is really
amazing to see this degree of technology
available for our patients, who have to
pay nothing at all. It is really very,
very rewarding.
Dr.
VC: Ten years ago, I
heard from Swami, we should not treat
the patient as a disease, but we should
treat the mind, body and the soul. And,
that to me, is the biggest message I got
from Swami from here.
Dr.
NC: Yes, and you can feel that
when you hear the bhajans and the
soothing music that is piped right
through. Sometimes Swami’s discourses
are heard when you’re operating, which
is quite different to the environment
where I normally work. Certainly, it is
a very spiritually healing place.
Talking
about the ambience and experience of
working in the Hospital, the common
refrain of every doctor who has served
or is currently serving is - “This is a
totally different place to work. It is
very humbling”. Dr. Hegde, a very
distinguished Neuro Surgeon of India who
heads the Department of Neuro Sciences
in the Hospital, says,
“We
do what is best for the patient. The
economic factors do not influence
the patient management
decision….there is none of the
all-too-common feeling of
helplessness that poor patients have
when they are unable to afford
treatment.
COUNSELING AND PATIENT CARE
Counseling Department:
One-of-a-Kind
Once
the patients step inside the
Hospital, they are reassured and
relaxed. They know the Hospital
wants nothing from them in
return. Providing comfort and
confidence and lending a patient
ear to all their worries and
anxieties is another very unique
service wing of the Hospital -
the Counseling Department.
This
department, if not unique in its
concept, is surely intuitively
exceptional and one-of-a-kind in
its approach and impact. Their
fundamental tenets - “Help Ever,
Hurt Never” and “Love All Serve
All” inspired by Baba.
The
counselors of the Hospital
provide the non-medical but
equally vital emotional support
to the patients. Describing
their work, a counselor says,
“On admission
the patients have different
apprehensions as to their stay
in the Hospital – at this point
we appraise them of the good
care available, assuring them of
the doctor’s expertise and
competence along with free care
provided by Bhagawan Baba and
they relax instantly.”
Prithvi Pani, who underwent
neuro surgery for removal of a
tumour, says,
“My nine days stay
at the SSSIHMS was a divine
holiday. In fact I never had
the feeling that I was a
patient. In a surgery it is
fear that haunts you more
than the diseases. But here
I must admit that from the
time of admission the fear
had gone and a subtle peace
of mind transcended on me.
The state of mind has to be
experienced to be believed.
Although I have profound
faith in God, the moment I
entered this divine medical
centre, I began to admire
Baba for his selfless
service to mankind, through
his philosophy of “Love All
Serve All”. Every person
admitted to this Institute,
however poor or rich, is
taken care of without any
discrimination. The medical
service is supreme. A
missionary zeal can be seen
in every individual serving
this Institute and this
clearly shows the heartiness
of this Divine soul, Sri
Sathya Sai Baba who infuses
such dynamism into every
person serving here.”
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A Letter
From A Patient To
The Counseling
Department
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Sairam,
Loving letter from
Menaka. I am a 1st Year
M.Sc. (Microbiology)
student from
Kanchipuram. On 4th June
2005, I was admitted to
Sathya Sai Hospital at
Bangalore. Next day
morning I was operated
successfully. I am
healthy now. Recently I
had revisited the
Hospital for a follow-up
checkup. Doctors
informed that there is
no problem. I am able to
lead a normal life.
Regarding the Hospital:
I was well-taken
care in the Hospital
during my week long
stay. The courtesy, love
and words that I enjoyed
there will not be
possible even with money
elsewhere. Sevadals
conducted themselves
gracefully. I did not
know any of the people
working in the Hospital
as I was completely new,
still they took care of
us nicely. So much of
care and love is not
possible elsewhere!
Pages would not be
enough if I were to
write about the doctors.
If not for them, will I
be writing this letter?
I see these doctors as a
form of GOD to save the
lives of the sick...Doctors
were very humble and
believed that all of us
are equal in the eyes of
Baba. Baba has given me
a rebirth. It is because
of Baba I am alive now!!
This operation would
have cost lakhs of
rupees elsewhere, but
was done completely free
at this Hospital. I
really doubt if I would
have recovered this well
even if I were to shell
out money.... I would be
grateful for the rest of
my life, for my very
existence is their
benevolence. I am
serving my locality and
also meditating as per
your advice. All these
make me feel healthy and
strong.
Many a thanks for your
service!... I will be in
touch regularly through
letters.
Yours loving,
V. Maneka
25 November, 2005 |
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Counseling and Spiritual Healing
The
counselors meet all the in-patients
individually, either in the
counseling room or at their bedsides in
the wards. They quickly establish a
rapport not only with the patient but
also with the immediate family members
by informal interaction and by speaking
to them in their own language or one
familiar to them…. Counseling
compliments the modern medicine and
surgery process through spiritual
healing.
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Mind is the seat of all emotions
and feelings and Baba says, in
fact, it is the mind which is
the root cause of 98% of all
ailments. By generating positive
thoughts in the patients, the
counselors help in maintaining
good health of the patients in
the post-operative recovery
period.
“On
the bedside rounds we see
some patients going through
great pain and suffering
with all the care given.
They are looking for solace
and comfort. A small prayer
to the divine here, together
with the patient, releases
all pain and tensions –
result, the patient falls
off to sleep. This is a
divine painkiller and we
have experienced this
several times,”
say the counselors who work
voluntarily in the Hospital
in a spirit of selfless
service because of their
love for Baba.
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In fact,
this pure love for Baba expressing
itself as selfless service and the
satisfaction derived there from is the
biggest motivating factor for everyone
associated with the Hospital. It is this
ennobling feeling which makes many
suppliers of various items needed by the
Hospital offer their products free.
The dockyard
worker in Bangalore may be used to
tobacco, hard work and harder words but
when it comes to unloading equipments
meant for the Hospital, he takes only
half the payment saying, “This is my
small contribution to what Baba is doing
for humanity!” There are many who choose
to remain anonymous and silently
contribute their might to the Hospital
in whatever way they can, as for them it
is only an offering to their lord.
SERVICE BY VOLUNTEERS AND
PATIENT CARE
Sai
Volunteers – The Spinal Cord of
the Hospital
One of the
most committed and caring among
these group of selfless workers
are the Sevadals – dedicated
teams of volunteers belonging to
various Sathya Sai centres all
over from the state of
Karnataka, who come for short
periods of one week and lend
their eager and earnest support
in the running and upkeep of the
Bangalore Hospital.
If the corridors in
the Hospital shine
and the walls of the
wards and offices
look bright, it is
because of the
Sevadals. If the
gates of the
Hospital are
well-guarded round
the clock and there
is discipline in the
Hospital with the
patients being
guided to the right
service department
at every step -
again it is because
these volunteers
never mind hard
work.
It is the sevadals
who lovingly serve
food to every single
patient. It is they
who wash and iron
patients' clothes in
the laundry. It is
also they who escort
and help patients
and carry their
blood samples to the
respective
laboratories.
As Dr. Safaya, the
Director of the
Hospital, says,
“They are the
Hospital’s in-house
mailing system -
most robust and
trusted.”
One cannot
imagine the Hospital
the way it is
without them even
for a single day.
They add life, vigor
and ability to every
wing of the
Hospital.
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Sevadals ironing
patients' clothes
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Can
you ever imagine an IAS officer
[senior Government official]
rubbing shoulders with a school
teacher and both scrubbing the
floors? Or an Air Marshal of the
Indian Air Force doing guard
duty at the main gate? Or for
that matter, the executive of a
company carrying the soiled
clothes of a patient to the
laundry? It happens in Baba’s
Hospital daily.
“Sevadals Change the Quality of
Patient Care” – Dr. Geeta Rangan
Expressing how the Sevadals
change the quality of patient
care, Dr. Geeta Rangan, who
worked previously in many
government and other private
hospitals before joining as the
head of the Neurology Department
of Baba’s Hospital, says,
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"Our Bhagawan’s
Hospital does away
with all the
weakness in our
different systems of
health care. I was
pleasantly surprised
to see how the Seva
Dal take care of the
mundane aspects such
as reception,
guidance of the
patients, and even
paramedical aspects,
without the usual
shouting, screaming
and exchange of
unpleasantries.
Instead, there is a
quiet atmosphere in
which to function,
where a troublesome
patient can be
handed over to a
psychological advice
group while one
concentrates on the
next needy
individual.”
Testimony of a
Sevadal
Quite happily and
with enthusiasm,
every Seva Dal
accepts his position
with a smile and
works anywhere. Mr.
Prakash
Chittaranjan, a
longtime volunteer,
recollecting his
first days of
service and says,
“The whole
Hospital seemed
a crystal maze
for me at the
beginning, not
knowing where
each lab and
other
departments were
within such a
gigantic
Hospital
complex. But
Swami kept
telling me from
within that He
was there to
guide me as
ever, through
his loving
Hospital staff
(Sisters,
Doctors and
administrators).
I was able to
feel the Unity,
Purity and
Divinity
principle that
Swami often
talks about,
which led me to
interact well
and share my
love with the
patients and the
staff.
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Patients from all classes
and religions were being
treated in this Hospital
lovingly and for free. There
were smiles all around from
the patients and their
relatives at the time of
discharge, for they were
fully charged with Swami's
ocean of love.
This was a wonderful gift
from Bhagawan to me, whose
experience I will ever
cherish in my life. As I
entered into the last day of
Seva, I was beginning to
feel heavy hearted for I was
about to be rudely woken up
from the short and sweet
dream. A dream that I wished
should never end, deep
within my heart. All I
wanted to do then was to
thank SAI for providing such
a wonderful and spiritually
enlightening experience and
for making me be close to
him as part of the overall
experience.”
This
is the sublime feeling with
which the Sevadals give their
energy and time to the Hospital.
They see Baba in everyone. No
Seva Dal member gets tired or
complains of hard work. He never
aspires for any fruits for his
service. He is a silent worker
and never projects himself. You
can not only see but feel the
saying ‘Service to Man is
Service to God’ when you see the
Sevadals at work. |
“Every
Doctor, Nurse and Volunteer Behaved as
if They Were My Family” – Dr. Pai,
Former Patient.
Dr. Y V Pai,
a retired IAS officer recalling his
hospitalization says,
“The
most striking difference between
SSSIHMS and other hospitals is
the quality of people – doctors,
paramedics and volunteers. They
are not only skilful
practitioners but have a rare
quality of affection and
cooperation and yet firmness
when called for.
They all
seem to be tiny yet significant
fragments of the towering figure
– Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
People
here make you feel so much at
home that I told my family not
to send an attendant.
Of course, my request was not
taken seriously. There was no
need for anyone to be with me
because every doctor, nurse,
ward boy and volunteer behaved
as if they were my family.” |
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A patient recovering in ICU
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SAI
REHABILITATION PROGRAMME AND
PATIENT CARE
One very
unique facet of patient care in
this “Home of a Hospital” is
that the volunteers and staff of
the Hospital never forget the
poor patients even after they
are discharged. Like their own
family member they are always
welcomed and are given privilege
and priority for consultation in
subsequent visits to the
Hospital. But this is not all.
The
Hospital was not satisfied with
this….they wanted to take their
care and concern beyond the
walls of the Hospital…to their
patient’s town and village! And
thus, about 6 months ago was
born the “Sai Rehabilitation
Programme”.
Now
poor Ramaiah need not feel
lonely when he returns home
after his operation. No more
fears and doubts – “What if
things do not go right when I am
at home? Who will guide me? Sai
Baba’s Hospital is so far away.
Who will hold my hand now and
help me regain my health?”
Under the Sai Rehabilitation
Programme, the patient is always
under the Hospital's umbrella
and will be under the care of
Sai volunteers who are present
in every corner of India. The
programme was planned and
launched as a pilot project in
Karnataka State on 17th July
2004 by the Hospital which has
partnered with the Sri Sathya
Sai Seva Organisation (SSSSO) of
Karnataka. The programme in
Karnataka will be a working
model which eventually will be
replicated in all the other
States of India.
The
programme’s importance and
appeal grew within days of its
implementation, because the
majority of the patients, who
are illiterate and have poor
economic status, need to be
educated and motivated to follow
a disciplined rehabilitation
routine after a major surgery or
intervention. This discipline is
imperative for the patient to
benefit from the free surgery
done at the Hospital in the long
term. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva
Organisation’s wide network of
dedicated voluntary men and
women has only made this project
possible and effective.
How Is The Programme
Implemented
“As a first
step in this project, an
orientation workshop was
conducted by the Hospital for
more than a hundred district
doctors and other support staff
hailing from all over
Karnataka,” says Mr. Umesh Rao,
the Programme Director for the
Rehabilitation Programme,
“Presentations about the
programme content, in depth,
were made by the Hospital staff
followed by an interactive
session. A detailed briefing
followed on how the body-mind
checkup needs to be done
including completing the patient
status feedback form as
formatted by the Hospital. The
take-home workshop material
included guidelines, medical
protocols following discharge,
and counseling guidelines for
providing emotional support and
fostering spirituality.”
Explaining in detail the
Programme implementation, Mr.
Umesh Rao who also works in the
Counseling Department of the
Hospital, says,
“The
Sai Organisation
provides the Hospital
with a list of the
district doctors and
seva representatives,
who work in tandem as
care providers to
implement the programme.
The Hospital at the time
of discharge directs the
patient to report,
thirty days hence, to
the appropriate local
doctor for the first
check up. Thereafter the
local doctor and the
district Seva
representative take over
the programme
implementation.
The
patient is asked to
return for two more
bi-monthly checks to
complete the six-month
recuperative
rehabilitation. After
every check up, a
patient status feedback
is routinely sent to
keep the Hospital posted
about the patient’s
recuperation.
These periodical checks
of the patients are done
in the respective
doctor's clinics during
their regular consulting
hours. The volunteer
doctors also perceive
this as a God given
opportunity for
rendering Seva in their
own clinics!”
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There is much more to this
Unique Rehabilitation Project
than the two paragraphs, so we
have for you a power point
presentation explaining
everything about the project in
detail. Please download the
presentation
here [6.8 MB] to know more
about this unique project.
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BABA’S
STUDENTS AND PATIENT CARE
Technical Officers - The Unsung
Heroes
Yes,
it is the loving care of
doctors, nurses, ward boys and
volunteers which makes the
Hospital what it is - but it is
not only them. There is another
group which remains in the
backstage just like the
inconspicuous yet crucial group
in a great musical extravaganza
working on the sets, on the
logistics, the costumes, the
lights, the cameras, etc…whose
services are vital and basic for
the performance to click. This
hallowed group is the band of
Technical Officers, all former
students of Baba’s Institute,
who were sent by Baba to premier
healthcare institutions and
trained on different operations
of the Hospital before the
Hospital actually started.
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Former students of
Baba's Institute
working as Technical
Officers in the
hospital...
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It
is they who handle all the
support services of the
Hospital, be it maintaining the
stores, pharmacy and accounts;
or, monitoring and constantly
upgrading the IT deployment in
the Hospital; or, refining and
simplifying the procedures of
the Hospital with optimum
patient welfare as the sole
objective; or, assisting the
surgeons in the theatre working
as perfusionists; or, managing
the crowded outpatient
departments of the Hospital
which handle more than 300
patients every morning; or
maintaining all the expensive
medical equipment in the
Radiology department and other
Laboratories as well as other
infrastructure like generators,
etc.; or even doubling up as
Public Relation Managers,
Administrative Officers, etc.
All of them keep themselves
abreast of the latest happenings
in their areas of work and one
of them has even contributed a
chapter to a text book on
Radiology, a field which he was
first acquainted with five years
ago, when he joined the Hospital
after his post-graduation. They
are Baba’s Messengers, the
chosen Instruments of His grand
Mission. In fact, they are like
so many wheels working in
clockwork precision,
safeguarding the running of the
great Hospital.
What
motivates these post-graduates
to forsake good careers and work
in the Hospital? You ask them
and they will say, “It is our
love for Swami and the
satisfaction of being a part of
His glorious mission.”
They will
join the counselors and hundreds
of other volunteers and add,
“Love is our tool, sincerity our
drug and with empathy we see the
unseen hand of the divine
working in the process.” Their
essential love, sincerity and
empathy is what makes them stand
out and they experience, as they
say, the “unseen hand of the
Divine”.
THE “UNSEEN DIVINE HAND”
AND PATIENT CARE
In fact, this “unseen
Divine hand” is an
experience which every
department of the
Hospital can vouch for.
Ask the surgeons and
they will tell you there
were so many cases where
they thought the patient
will not be able to
cope, actually survived.
And it happened so
magnificently! Take the
case of Juhi (name
changed).
When the Neuro
specialists saw Juhi, a
middle aged woman,
brought on a stretcher
to outpatient
department, they had
little clue as to what
was the source of her
chronic back pain which
only increased when she
tried to walk. Juhi had
experienced hell. She
was turned away from all
hospitals she had
visited. “Your case is
too complex with very
low chances of survival,
we are sorry,” is all
they would say. Then
somebody told her about
Baba’s Hospital in
Bangalore.
When the doctors
examined her thoroughly
they learnt she had a
very peculiar problem.
Her abdominal aorta
(blood vessel) had
widened sac-like and was
eating into the spinal
cord. Doctors from both
the disciplines -
Cardiac and Neuro -
teamed up to save this
poor lady as the
operation was going to
be a very complicated
affair.
Her surgery was done
under hypothermia
(temperature of blood
brought to levels lower
with ice) so that her
heart can temporarily be
suspended (transferred
to the heart-lung
machine) by Cardiac
surgeons while the Neuro
surgeons corrected her
abdominal aorta and
placed spinal implants
to support her spine.
Her post-operative
period was not easy, but
when Juhi did leave the
hospital, she went out
walking!!
When Juhi returned to
the hospital after three
months for a follow up,
doctors were amazed with
the improvement in her
condition. She was
totally pain-free! “We
are grateful to Bhagawan
for His healing grace,”
is all the surgeons say.
In
fact, the construction
of the huge gem of
architecture that is the
Hospital building which
spread over half a
million square feet of
area in just sixteen
months is in itself a
miracle! Few thought it
was possible. Mr. Satish
Nayak, who was the
Project Director during
its construction stage
says,
“Nearly 500
contractors and
sub-contractors
gladly bent over
backward to fulfill
their obligations so
that the project
schedule could
strictly be
maintained….such
commitment, one
could clearly see,
was possible only
because the Divine
Hand was guiding
them. It was a case
of: ‘Without God on
our side, we are
nothing; with God on
our side, we are
everything.’
Dr. Shailaja, MD, in
charge of the
Bio-chemistry lab says,
“When unexpected things
happen once, we call it
coincidence; when they
happen twice it may be
just things falling in
place due to our good
luck; when they happen
all through the year,
you call them miracles.
That is what we in the
lab have been
experiencing.” She
substantiates this
saying how on one
occasion when they felt
that a quality-control
workshop must be
conducted for the lab
technicians in
Bangalore, just a few
hours later, a doctor
from USA landed there
with a CD with exactly
the contents on
quality-control they
were looking for!
Similarly, when they
were not able to
programme their
sophisticated equipment
for a particular test
needed for a patient and
even the service
engineers of the company
had given up, suddenly
it occurred to them that
if they could configure
the machine in a
particular way they
could get the right
result they needed and
it worked! The doctors
could put the patient on
the right treatment in
time and then thanked
Swami.
Acclamation and
Recognition from
WHO
Thanks
to the
committed
staff
and
their
devotion
to Baba,
the
quality
of the
care
being
offered
at the
Hospital
has
attracted
the
attention
of many
national
and
international
agencies
and
personalities.
“According
to a
World
Health
Organisation’s
(WHO)
Medical
Information
Accreditation
report,
the
Sri
Sathya
Sai
Institute
of
Higher
Medical
Sciences
at
Whitefield
in
the
outskirts
of
Bangalore,
which
specializes
in
cardiology
and
neurology
surgeries
and
treatment,
has
one
among
the
lowest
rates
of
mortality,
morbidity
environment
and
hospital
acquired
infection.
The
Hospital
has
also
been
recognized
by
the
National
Board
of
Examination
(NBE)
to
admit
PG
students
in
cardiology
and
neurology
for
practical
training,”
reported
the
Bangalore
bureau
of
Pharmabiz.com
on
the
21st
of
Jan,
2002,
that
is,
after
one
year
of
its
operation."
Since
2002,
the
Hospital
has
been
recognised
by
the
NBE
for
other
disciplines
too
like
Cardiac
Surgery,
Neuro
Surgery,
Neurology
and
even
Radiology.
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INFUSION
OF NEW
TECHNOLOGY
AND
PATIENT
CARE
The
Knowledge
Transfer
from
Distinguished
Visiting
Doctors
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Cardiac Operation Theatre
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Apart
from the
sophisticated
equipment
and the
doctors’
commitment,
another
aspect
which
has
contributed
amply in
maintaining
the
premium
quality
of
patient
care is
the
visit of
distinguished
doctors
from
different
parts of
the
world
and the
subsequent
transfer
of
knowledge
and
technologies
that are
in vogue
in
top-of-the
line
hospitals
around
the
world.
These
experts
most
willingly
join the
team of
Hospital
doctors
for
short
periods
and
“bring
us the
latest
technology
from
abroad,
from
their
respective
countries
and
institutions.
They
teach,
they
help…
from
their
point of
view
they are
performing
Seva,
free
service.
This
they do
without
any
reimbursement,”
says Dr.
Safaya,
director
of the
Hospital.
One
representative
illustration
of the
many is
the case
of Dr.
Sanjay
Kumar
Prasad.
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Dr. Sanjay Kumar Prasad is Consultant Cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, which is well known for the pioneering work done in the field of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Cardiac MR).
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Cardiac
Magnetic
Resonance
is a
revolutionary
technology
with the
potential
to
change
the way
cardiac
patients
are
treated.
With
Cardiac
MR,
screening
patients
to find
out
whether
they
might
need an
intervention
does not
need to
be an
invasive
procedure
anymore.
Dr.
Sanjay
spent a
week
with the
Hospital
doctors
in the
summer
of 2004
and
imparted
knowledge
of this
exciting
new
field to
the
Radiologists
and
Cardiologists
of the
Hospital.
"The
benefit
to
the
patient
is
that,”
says
Dr.
Sanjay,
“it
is
much
less
uncomfortable,
there
is
less
risk
from
the
procedure
and
it
is
much
safer
and
at
the
same
time
provides
more
information
than
many
of
the
standard
procedures
and
so
greatly
helps
the
doctors
manage
cardiac
patients.
In
time,
Cardiac
MR
can
become
an
out-patient
procedure
leading
to
improved
throughput,
increased
cost
savings
and
reduced
morbidity
in
patients
as
compared
to
an
invasive
procedure.”
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TALENTED DOCTORS AND PATIENT CARE
The infusion of latest techniques and expertise from regular visiting doctors along with their missionary zeal and enthusiasm greatly improves the skill and knowledge of the Hospital doctors. Many have received celebrated awards and fellowships and some regularly publish papers in reputed medical journals.
Dr. A S Hegde, who heads the Neuro Sciences Department of the Hospital, is a very distinguished Neuro surgeon and a recipient of Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2003 for "outstanding contributions to the state and country."
Dr. Hegde on invitation is part of cutting-edge projects in healthcare, the recent one being the invitation by CSIR (Council For Scientific and Industrial Research, India) to be part of the New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI), the largest public-private partnership scheme on behalf of Govt. of India, to develop high quality Medical Implants and Development of Gene Chip for molecular diagnosis of Malignant Brain Tumor.
He is also part of the six-member committee appointed by the Government of Karanataka to suggest views on improving the quality of healthcare services offered in the 16 government hospitals in and around Bangalore.
Dr. Smruti Ranjan Mohanty of the Cardiac Surgery Department, for instance, was awarded the Evarts A. Graham Traveling Fellowship for 2004-05, granted by the American Association of Thoracic Surgery. It entitles him to work in the specialized field of pediatric heart care in the prestigious Charles Stewart Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Michigan, USA which is rated “the Best” in the state of Michigan for child healthcare and fifth in the USA by ‘Child’ magazine. Dr. Mohanty is the third Indian to be conferred this Fellowship in the last 40 years. A very rare achievement, indeed!
Dr. Anil Kumar Mulpur, Consultant, Cardiac Surgery Department, has contributed to two chapters in a text book on "Techniques in Extracorporeal Circulation- 4th Edition" published by Arnold Publishers, U.K. in 2004. He has co-authored the first chapter of the textbook with Christopher M Munsch, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK and also the sixteenth chapter with a few consultants working at the Leeds Hospital, U.K. |
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GOVERNMENT’S
SUPPORT
AND
PATIENT
CARE
The
state
government
of
Karnataka,
the
state in
which
the
Hospital
is
located,
acknowledging
the
noble
mission
of the
Hospital
not only
provided
land
measuring
52.26
acres in
the
prime
Export
Promotion
Industrial
Park
free
to the
Trust
for the
construction
of the
Hospital
and
waived
many
taxes
during
its
construction
stage,
but also
even now
offers
huge
subsidies
with
respect
to
electricity
charges.
Similarly,
the
Ministry
of
Finance,
Government
of
India,
exempts
customs
duties
for
imports
of
equipments
and
infrastructure
for the
Hospital.
The
infrastructure,
the
equipment,
the
expertise
of
the
doctors
along
with
the
government’s
support
has
made
the
Hospital
exceptional.
Add
to
this,
its
soothing
ambience
and
the
noble
mission
of
Bhagawan,
and
the
Hospital
becomes
a
‘role
model’
for
the
healthcare
profession.
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Swami
with
the
then
Chief
Minister
(left)
and
Governor
of
Karnataka
in
2003
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“It is
Not Only a
Medical But a
Spiritual
Contribution” –
Dr. Krishna
Kant, Former
Vice-President
of India.
Dr. Krishna
Kant, former
Vice-President
of India, after
visiting the
Hospital way
back in 2001,
had said,
“SSSSIHMS is
a wonderful
contribution
of Bhagavan
Sri Sathya
Sai Baba. To
have a free
and modern
Hospital for
the poor
people of
India was a
dream and
pledge of
our leaders
in the
freedom
struggle.
This is a
realisation
of (the)
dreams (of)
Gandhiji and
Jawaharlal
Nehru. It
reproduces
our
spiritual
heritage.
One feels
proud after
going round
it. This can
be (a) model
for all the
developing
countries as
well as the
developed
world. The
developed
world has
these
facilities
but not free
for the
poor. May
this example
be followed
by others.
It is not
only medical
but a
spiritual
contribution.”
Yes, since its
inception every
patient and
every visitor
has looked at
this Hospital
with wonder.
After 6,000
cardiac
operations, more
than 5,500 neuro
surgeries, 3.5
lakh outpatient
consultations
and after five
golden years of
service, the
Hospital is as
dedicated and as
committed as
ever to serve
the poor and the
forlorn.
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THE MILESTONES
IN PATIENT CARE
In these five
years that have
gone by, the
Hospital has
also seen many
changes, crossed
many milestones,
overcome many
challenges and
been a witness
to many
eye-opening
revelations and
stirring
transformations.
“Making
a Difference to
People Who Had
Given Up Hope.”
– Dr. Safaya
When
in
the
first
six
months
of
its
existence,
the
Hospital
crossed
1,500
surgeries,
leading
newspapers
carried
stories
about
it.
Dr.
A N
Safaya,
the
Director,
said
at
that
time,
“The Institute has also treated 18,012 cardiac outpatients and 10,722 neuro outpatients. Another 2,000 plus cardiac and over 1,000 patients in the neuro-sciences were treated as in-patients in the Hospital.”
Speaking to the press on the social impact of the Hospital on that occasion, Dr. Safaya had said, it is “making a difference to people who had given up hope.”
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"Indian
Express",
26th
July
2002
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In April 2004,
The Times of
India under the
title, “Holistic
Healthcare:
Hospital Treats
2.5 Lakh
Patients”
congratulated
the Hospital for
the feat and
continued to
add, “Most of
them belong to
the lower income
group, and many
come in from
Nepal, Sri
Lanka, South
Africa and even
some from
European
countries.”
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"Times of India", 29th April, 2004
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Who Are the People Most Benefited by the Hospital?
Truly, going by the Hospital statistics, more than 60% of the patients operated upon in this Hospital earn less than Rs. 1500 (US$ 33) per month and 25% out of this do not even have a monthly income of Rs. 500 (US$ 11). It is the same statistics with the 3,50,000 patients seen in the outpatient department of the Hospital - about 2,50,000 out of these earn less than Rs. 1500 a month. |
“Since
inception
in
January
2001,”
the
newspaper
article
in April
2004
continues,
“doctors
here
have
performed
complicated
procedures
in
cardiac
and
neuro
branches,
with
state-of-the-art
technology.
In
commercial
terms,
the cost
of
treatment
meted
out free
is
around
Rs. 150
crore.
Lakhs of
patients
depend
entirely
on the
Hospital.”
Beautifully,
the
article
describes
the
Hospital
as the
‘Hospital
With a
Heart.”
Bhagawan
Baba in
His
discourse
during
the
inauguration
of the
Hospital
had
said,
“We
do
not
have
any
discrimination
for
caste,
creed,
religion,
and
nationality.
We
offer
free
treatment
to
everybody.
We
are
determined
to
offer
free
treatment,
come
what
may.
Safeguarding
the
lives
of
patients
is
our
main
objective.
Eschew
greed
for
money;
develop
love
and
a
spirit
of
sacrifice.”
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MEDICAL
CHALLENGES AND
PATIENT CARE
It is this
powerful
inspiration
coming directly
from Bhagawan
which has
propelled the
doctors and the
staff of the
Hospital to go
any length to
make someone’s
life better.
Some
Complex
Operations…To
Save a Labourer,
a Small Shop
Owner
Mrs. Mohan Das,
a labourer, was
shattered when
her new born
18-day-old
baby’s lips
turned blue.
When the doctor
in a private
hospital told
her she will
need over Rs.
300,000 to
correct her
baby’s heart and
even that came
with a 50% risk
to her life, she
just lost all
hope and
accepted her
fate. It was at
this time that
she heard of
Baba’s Hospital.
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The
doctors
performed
on her
baby
Arterial
Switch
Operation
considered
as one
of the
most
complicated
types in
the
practice
of
neonatal
cardiac
surgery
involving
correcting
the
interchanging
between
the
aorta
and
pulmonary
artery.
Seeing
the
smile on
her
baby’s
pink
lips,
Mrs. Das
had no
words to
express
her
gratitude
on her
way back
home.
For her,
her
little
one has
received
a second
life by
the
grace of
Bhagawan
Baba.
Abdul
Vahid
who owns
an
electrical
shop in
Kotma
town of
Madhya
Pradesh
was a
worried
man when
he
learnt
that his
child,
Saniya,
has a
very
complex
congenital
defect
of the
heart—Dextro
Transposition
of the
Great
Arteries,
due to
which
impure
blood is
pumped
to all
parts of
the body
and the
pure
blood is
sent to
the
lungs.
Abdul
could
never
have
afforded
the
complex
surgery,
costing
around
Rs. 3
lakhs.
When he
heard of
Baba’s
Hospital
through
the
local
Sai
Samithi,
it was
like a
boon
from
heaven.
In
March,
2003,
Abdul
brought
Saniya
to the
Hospital.
Balloon
Atrial
Septostomy
was
performed
as an
intermediate
step and
6 months
later
Saniya
was
operated
for
Senning’s.
In the
surgery
lasting
over 8
hours,
the
defect
was
corrected,
and Baby
Saniya
having
recovered
completely
is now
in the
pink of
health.
For this
free
gift of
health
to his
child,
Abdul is
ever
grateful
to the
Hospital. |
Cardiac
and Neuro
Surgeons Come
Together to
Restore Eyesight
to a Farmer
Similar was the
experience of a
poor farmer from
Coimbatore in
August of 2004
when in a rare
display of
skills Cardiac
and
Neurosurgeons of
the Hospital got
together to
perform yet
another rare and
complex
procedure, this
time to reverse
the sudden onset
of blindness in
one of the eyes
of the farmer.
The
blindness,
the
doctors
found
out was
because
of a
giant
aneurysm
(a
balloon-like
enlargement
of the
arteries)
in his
brain.
The
aneurysms
can
sometimes
grow to
enormous
sizes
and
cause
significant
difficulty
in
treating
them. In
this
case
too, the
aneurysm
was so
large
that it
was
compressing
the
optic
nerves
and
other
vital
structures
in the
brain.
Any
excessive
manipulation
of the
normal
brain
would
cause
serious
complications,
which
could
sometimes
be
fatal.
Therefore
direct
aneurysm
clipping,
the
normal
way out
for
dealing
with
these
bulges,
was
ruled
out. It
was here
that the
specialty
of
cardiology
also
came in.
The
cross
functional
team of
surgeons
and
perfusionists
operated
on him
using a
technique
called
‘hypothermia
with low
flow
state’
or
‘cardiac
arrest’
which
would
help the
neurosurgeon
open the
aneurysm
directly,
reduce
its size
and then
clip it.
The
cardiac
surgeons
opened
up the
heart
and
diverted
the
blood to
pass
through
the
heart-lung
machine.
Simultaneously,
the body
was
cooled
to a
very low
temperature
of 18°C,
at which
the
brain
would
survive
without
oxygen
for
about
20-30
minutes.
The
aneurysm
was
opened,
reduced
in size
and then
clipped
successfully
in a
marathon
surgery
lasting
over 9
hours.
The
farmer,
needless
to say,
was very
grateful
to get
back his
eye
sight. |
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The New On-Campus Accommodation
For Patient Attendants
Recently, in a move to better the facilities for the patients, an “on-campus accommodation facility” for the patient attendants has been constructed. This was a long-felt need as most of the patients being very poor, go through untold suffering to get accommodation.
The Salarpuria Group of Companies graciously came forward to build the “Sai G.D. Salarpuria Foundation Block” and offer it to Swami. The new building located just beside the Hospital once fully operational will be a great boon for the patients and their attendants.
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So far five such
complex
surgeries have
been performed
in the Hospital
for complex
aneurysms. That
success in such
cases requires
very high
degrees of
skill,
coordination,
and endurance
from the
surgeons and
other staff is
implicit.
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All
of
them
and
many
more
have
experienced
the
"Joy
of
Life"
in
the
hospital
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On similar
occasions, the
Hospital, as the
Times of
India
article in 2004
suggests, has
indeed done
challenging
operations and
complicated
procedures
whenever
required to save
a breadwinner of
a family, a
young mother, a
teenager or a
tiny baby.
“He is
Sai’s
Gift to
Our
Family”
–
Thankamani,
Mother
of an
Infant
Patient
The
sadness
in the
eyes of
Thankamani
holding
her 18
days old
baby in
her arms
said it
all…Her
baby was
born
with a
complex
heart
ailment
referred
to as –
Transposition
of the
Great
Arteries
(TGA)
which
involved
malfunctioning
of the
two
major
vessels
that
arise
from the
heart.
Hailing
from a
family
of
labourers,
Thankamani
could
barely
provide
for her
family,
so the
surgery
for her
little
one was
just an
elusive
dream.
The
child’s
condition
deteriorated
and she
was in a
state of
panic.
It was
at this
time
that she
heard
about
Baba’s
Hospital.
Free
surgery?
It
seemed
too good
to be
true.
She
rushed
to
Bangalore,
nevertheless.
“An Arterial Switch Operation (ASO), which belongs to the higher strata in the risk spectrum in neonatal surgery was done and two months later,” says Ashwin V, the technical officer at the outpatient department, “a bubbly little boy walked into the outpatient department for a review."
The smile on his lips and sparkle in his eyes betrayed the painful-looking scar over his once-defected heart.
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The mother speaks excitedly about his first words and his first steps towards her. Her little bundle of joy is blue no more she says. She can send him to school, watch him study, play and grow as a normal child.
And then with a simple love and gratitude known only to the very poor, she adds, "We have given him a name now. We have decided to call him 'Sai Prasad'. He is Sai's Prasad, or Sai’s gift, to our family".
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This institution, literally is a poem in brick and concrete, as somebody said. It is a poem that began five years ago and will probably never end. Hundreds of Thankamanis, Abduls and Mohan Dass’ script new stirring stanzas every day and the great saga of divine love continues….drenching the hearts of millions with pure selfless love. A love that loves for love's sake alone. |
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H2H Connects Two Hearts…
If the readers of Heart2Heart remember, in the November issue of H2H, we carried the moving story of a poor student, Pradeep, from Orissa who was operated on in this Hospital. (To read it again, go here). Pradeep’s father, a farmer, could hardly afford his education and it was Pradeep’s perseverance alone that won him a seat for studying MBBS. But his heart ailment troubled him and made his plans of becoming a doctor an elusive dream. Since then….Pradeep came to the Hospital, was operated upon and was so touched that after the operation he said,
“I’ve never received so much of love before. The doctors, the nurses and all staff are so loving. The doctors, knowing I am doing my MBBS used to give me text books to read so I do not get bored. I shall forever remember their loving and caring treatment. ”
But the story does not end there! Reading this article one Sai devotee from Australia wrote to us saying that he would like to help Pradeep. During Baba’s Birthday celebrations, this gentleman came to our studio and even took the address of the boy and said, “I will find out all details about him and see to it that he becomes a doctor.” We gave the gentlemen all the information and advice he needed.
It was a great feeling for us witnessing two hearts coming together through Heart2Heart! |
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THE
IDEAL
PATIENT
CARE –
WORTHY
OF
EMULATION
A
Shining
Star….A
Guiding
Light –
Dr.
Krucoff
Dr.
Mitchell
W
Krucoff
from the
Duke
University
Medical
Centre,
says,
“Like
shining
stars in
the
darkest
of
nights,
Baba’s
Hospitals
in
Puttaparthi
and
Bangalore
not only
live the
answer
to that
question
in the
free
care
they
deliver
every
day, but
also as
examples
of how
much God
is ready
to teach
us about
the
alleviation
of human
suffering
through
optimal
medical
care. He
has
built
these
programmes
– all we
have to
do is to
open our
eyes and
see…..to
the
western
world of
modern
medicine,
what
blessing
it is to
have
such a
guiding
light.”
Speaking
to the
Hospital
staff on
one
occasion,
Baba
said,
“The
service
you
are
performing
is a
very
exalted
and
highly
beneficial
act.
Service
to
the
downtrodden,
sick
and
miserable
people
who
are
in
pain
and
afflicted
with
disease
is
the
most
precious
and
valuable
deed.
The
work
being
done
here
is
very
sacred
work,
and
words
cannot
adequately
describe
it.
So
work
happily
and
spread
happiness
to
more
and
more
patients.
Be
happy
and
make
everyone
happy.”
Making
others
happy –
that is
the key.
Is it
Possible
Elsewhere?
Many say
it is
great
that
such
wonderful
Hospitals
set up
by Baba
exist,
but it
cannot
be
replicated
elsewhere.
It is
just not
possible.
To this,
Dr.
Safaya,
the
Director
of the
Hospital,
in an
interview
with
Felix
Wust,
editor
of SWISS
MED,
said,
“Why not? The Western countries should be able to do it. I don’t think Westerners are devoid of sympathy for the people. I don’t think the West is lacking in the type of people who think that serving man is serving God.”
With Selfless Love…Nothing is Impossible
So that is the crux of the story. If any personality or group can love as selflessly as Baba, then it is surely possible! For, there is the desire to do good in every human heart. It has only to be strengthened, fortified and practised; and that is the great miracle of transformation which silently but surely is happening in the quiet corners of every heart that has seen Him and experienced His love.
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Whether
any more
such
grand
“Temples
of
Healing”
stand
steady
and
strong
as
beacons
of hope
for the
poor and
the
forgotten,
each one
of us
can
surely
become a
guiding
light, a
little
shining
star
helping
many
others
to make
their
journey
from
discord
to
harmony,
from
hopelessness
to hope
and from
depression
to
delight!
And
this, we
know, is
possible
only
with
love,
genuine
selfless
love!
-
Heart2Heart
Team
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We would like to
thank all the technical officers of SSSIHMS, WF
- Praveen, Satish Chandra, Vasu, D V Chandra
Sekhar, Sai Kiran, Ravi Kiran, Ashwin and others
- for their active support and help in the
making of this article.
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Source:
Radio Sai
E-Magazine, January 2006 Issue
http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01JAN06/coverstory_sssihms_wf.htm
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