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Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital,
Rajkot, Gujarat
Mission to serve the poor and the
needy
The heart is
the most important part in the body. If the heart goes on
strike, the body becomes lifeless. Heart diseases are widely
prevalent around the world and at the same time heart surgeries
have become very expensive. In such situations what would be the
fate of poor people?
One has to work
for the welfare of the poor, alleviate their suffering and set
an ideal for mankind. Service becomes truly meaningful only when
it is rendered to the poor and the needy. To assist the poor and
needy in providing quality heart care, The Sri Sathya Sai Heart
Hospital, Rajkot, Gujarat was inaugurated on 4th August 2000.
This is the only hospital of its kind in Gujarat and the
surrounding states, offering quality health care services
absolutely free to the weaker sections of society. This hospital
is dedicated to the welfare of the poor and the philosophy of
the hospital is that:
-
Medical
services provided should be free irrespective of the
patient's caste, creed, religion or nationality.
-
Quality of
care given to poor patients should not be inferior to that
given to a fee-paying patient.
-
Treat each
Patient as worshipping Narayana in them A well-coordinated
international effort has made it possible for every
department of the hospital to have the most modern equipment
and to be staffed by highly-qualified and dedicated
surgeons, physicians, nurses, other health-care
practitioners and technicians.
Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba, the divine force behind this miracle says that,
"Sacrifice is the true hallmark of a doctor. So, doctors should
have the spirit of sacrifice. They should be compassionate and
considerate towards the poor". This hospital does not merely
stand for architectural beauty. Andam (beauty) has no value if
there is no Anandam (bliss). You can experience bliss only when
you give happiness to the poor.
Today, this
hospital is a monument to faith, and demonstrates compassionate
loving care and selfless service in an age where highcost
specialized medicine is beyond the reach of the great majority
of the world's population. To date, more than one thousand open
heart surgeries have been performed and 50,000 patients have
been treated for heart problems.
Some of the
patients treated at the hospital:
 17
year-old Rambhai Abhabhai's annul family income is less than
£150 (Rs.12,000/-). A labourer by occupation, his father is the
only breadwinner among the family of four, consisting of his
wife and two children. The Artifical Valve Replacement surgery
was performed on 7th February 2005.
 38
year-old Dahiben Nandania's family annul income is not more than
£120 (Rs.9,500/-). A farmer by occupation, her husband is the
only breadwinner among the family of six, which includes
parents, wife and two children. The MVR surgery was performed on
16th April, 2005.
 44
year-old Mavji Ratna Nariya's yearly income is not more than
£125 (Rs.10,000/-). A labourer by occupation, he is the only
breadwinner among the family of six, which includes his parents,
wife and two children. The MVR surgery was performed on 17th
April, 2005.
The guiding
principles and philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba have made the
Hospital ‘a beacon of hope' for the poor. Each and every patient
who has received treatment at the Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital,
Rajkot has his/her own story of struggle, hope, tears, happiness
and gratitude.
 If
you meet her, you will realize that 16 year-old Shefali Bhoi is
a bright girl. After school, she worked in the village to
supplement her family's income, which was never easy for her.
The slightest bit of exertion would lead to bouts of gasping and
palpitations. Fatigue would wear her down, and even eating
became arduous. The doctor in the nearby town diagnosed a
serious heart condition for Shefali. How could a family that
earned barely 75p (Rs.60) a day, afford heart surgery costing
over £1,200 (Rs. 1 lakh). The very same doctor asked the family
to rush to Sai Baba's Hospital in Rajkot. Today, after her
surgery at the SSSHH, Shefali smiles and says that she is all
set to help her family again. " We owe it all to Bhagawan. If
not for his
Hospital, our daughter would have had no future. I can think of
her marriage now, and get her to start a family of her own!"
says Shefali's mother, with a newfound hope in her eyes.
In recent
months various digniataries and officials have visited the Sri
Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Rajkot and blessed the patients and
showed admiration for all those who rendered service to the
patients.
Source:
http://www.heartvalvebank.info/pdf/HVB_Newsletter_July_2005.pdf
Heart Valve Bank UK Website:
http://www.heartvalvebank.info/
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