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| Tuesday, 23 November 2004 |
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Today is his 79th birthday : Sayings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on a dedicated medical service As part of his programme of service to mankind, Sathya Sai Baba has built a Super Speciality Hospital in Prasanthi Gram about five miles away from the main road to the ashram. It is situated in the poorest of areas to provide highly specialized treatment to the needy free of charge.
Specialists from all over India and from abroad give their expertise and time to work in this hospital. "The completion of this hospital in 6 months, the installation of the latest equipment in record time, and the hospital gaining international reputation in two years are all examples of how Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Divine Will translates Thought into Deeds". It is the record of this Super Speciality Hospital. A little later a similar hospital catering to the needy was built in the city of Bangalore. Following speech on a dedicated medical service was made by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the 10th anniversary of the Super Speciality Hospital: "Love is equally present in all. You make use of this love for selfishness, self interest and for service. Unfortunately in the present day world selfishness and self interest predominate.
Everything is done now with an attitude of 'my people or for me'. If there is no society where do you and your people stand? You get education out of society and earn money from it. Even the position and reputation you hold come from the society. Having received so much from the society, what help are you rendering in return? While receiving the benefits from it you still keep harming the society! Help ever, Hurt never. "You have to be healthy to serve the society. The body that is strong and healthy can achieve anything. So you should keep your body strong. Health is wealth. You should use this wealth to help the sick and the needy. This is true charity. This is righteousness. This is sacrifice. Position of authority and wealth are not equal to sacrifice. It is in sacrifice that your welfare lies. If poor people come to you, comfort them. There is no other action needed to earn grace. Service is very important. Many don't do service but sit in meditation. It is artificial! Although they sit for an hour they cannot concentrate for a second and their monkey mind run round. Without wasting your time attend to your work. Work is worship. Duty is God. Duty is Yoga and all work undertaken is sacred. You must realize the great merit obtained from service. Human beings are bound by action and the body is given only to perform dharmic activities. You should ceaselessly serve. You eat every day to stay alive and you do not get tired of eating. Likewise, service rendered regularly, makes you more energetic. Only when you deny service your energy becomes allergy. Energy is divine and comes from unity, which results from purity. Hands that serve are nobler than lips that pray. Change of work is rest - otherwise it becomes rust. Bend the body, mend the senses and end the mind. "Health is the most valuable wealth for any person. Without health man cannot lead any purposeful life. Very truly it is said 'health is wealth'. However a lot of people who are plagued with ill health lead a life full of misery - in a state of despondency, looking for succour at the hands of doctors. Our doctors, nurses and technicians are very fortunate. They are constantly in service of these affected patients. They perform all the service without any expectation in return. There are no differences here for the rich or poor. All are treated with equal care and concern. Our doctors give their full attention to the patients and work with all their heart and dedication. "This type of service is not to be seen anywhere in the world. Although America is a rich country, one never sees this type of service even there. By working in such a sacred institution, our doctors have enhanced their reputation. It is verily their good fortune to get such an opportunity to serve others. "Not all can render such service. You doctors are really fortunate to have acquired the opportunity of serving others while patients are also lucky to receive such service. Money comes and goes. The treatment available here has nothing to do with money. It is rendered with heartfelt feeling and without commercial consideration. Every doctor, nurse and technician is performing his/her duty in a sincere manner. There are many doctors in this world. There are great specialists in every field. But what is the use? Here our doctors serve without any monetary returns. Such a hospital cannot be found anywhere in the world. No one has even heard of such a hospital". Addressing the staff of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences at Prashanthi Gram, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba continued his speech "I expect that you fully appreciate the good fortune bestowed on you and commensurately serve the patients well. There is good and bad co-existing in the world. Happiness and misery good luck and ill luck, victory and defeat are the two sides of the same coin. We don't derive happiness from happiness. We can appreciate happiness only when we have difficulties. "In spite of our best efforts, we may not be successful with some patients. But this is not the mistake of doctors. In spite of their expertise and best efforts these can happen. All the departments are working well. We have to keep a few things in our mind. "We should have unity amongst ourselves. Only when there is unity, we can develop purity. Divinity follows purity. There is divinity in all. Because of the inherent divinity people leave everything and come here to work. Not everybody can come to this hospital. It is the results of the good fortune (punya) of so many previous births that you are able to come to this hospital. I expect this hospital to develop further and achieve success with respect to every patient who steps in. "All patients should go back with a smile on their faces. There are certain incurable patients. Do not be sad. Do your duty sincerely to the fullest extent possible. What can be done must be done. There has to be more understanding and cooperation amongst you. When there is understanding adjustment follows. Thus understanding is very important. We have to work united in the best interest of the patient. Everybody should do their role well. Do not discriminate the work as inferior or superior. There is no discrimination on this basis. This love is equal to all. This love should be shared and developed among all of us. Shower your love on all patients. Develop divine love. The medicines that you administer are not what cures the patient, but the kind words spoken by the doctor. "Doctors speak kind and sweet words to the patients. In my opinion such kind and sweet words cure the patient. You cannot always oblige but can always speak obligingly. You have to speak kindly and explain properly to every patient. Even when the disease is incurable and the patient is in a hopeless state, never tell him straight away that the disease cannot be cured. There is no harm in telling the truth but it should not hurt or depress the patient. Tell the patient that we shall put in our best possible efforts. Don't feel dejected about certain incurable patients. "Patients come with lot of hope. On account of their good fortune they go back happy. In a bag of rice there may also be a few stones. Similarly amongst patients a few may be incurable. This is not the defect of our doctors. Our doctors put in a lot of effort and provide the best possible help. We have to do our best to all who seek relief from sickness. There is no greater service than this. See God in all patients. Think that God has come in the form of the patient. Do not discriminate that you are a doctor and he is a patient. Today you are a doctor, but tomorrow you may be a patient. No one knows what is in store for each one of us. Offer the maximum possible help to all patients, with your best efforts and medicines. "I do not mind spending any amount of money to provide the best possible medical care to patients. Whatever money is required I will give. Do your duty sincerely. Many people do not know that it costs 10 million Indian Rupees every month to run this hospital. Money is not important, man is important. Therefore do your best to the patients. We are spending more than twenty million rupees every month for the other hospital in Whitefield. Nowhere in the world do people spend even a paisa without any return. Money is not important. Money and blood should circulate and should not stagnate. You serve the patient happily with all sincerity. Good doctors are more important for me. Good doctors mean doctors who have a sense of sacrifice. Those who are performing here are really doing a good job. I need more doctors who understand culture and environment of this hospital, with an attitude of sacrifice and service. The work done here is very sacred and words cannot adequately describe it. So all of you work happily and spread happiness to more and more patients and make everyone happy. "In today's world many people are suffering from want of proper medical facilities. It is your bounden duty to help the suffering humanity. Only then will the country prosper. Money comes and goes. Morality comes and goes. Today many doctors are commercializing the field of Medicine. Such doctors are sinners of the world kind. He is a true doctor who aspires for the well-being of the patient. We have to encourage such noble doctors. "There are many poor people in our country who lack the basic necessities of food, medicine and shelter. Our hospitals are doing yeoman service to suffering humanity. Doctors should serve the poor with a spirit of sacrifice. There is no grater service than this. Medicine should not be commercialized, it is meant to promote heart to heart and love to love relationships, between doctor and patient. A true doctor is one who realizes the truth and conducts himself accordingly. One with commercial outlook is not a doctor at all; in fact he is a patient himself. Spirit of sacrifice is the hallmark of a true doctor. "Spirituality kindles a spontaneous and sympathetic feeling in the doctor and enables him to treat his patients as he would his kith and kin. We have to get back to treating the patient not just the disease. Medicine cannot be holistic without spirituality. "One may perform many austerities as possible; read as many religious texts as possible and indulge in as many religious rituals as possible, but there is nothing greater than service to a fellow human being. Dr. (Mrs.) Vasantha Jayasuriya, 'Sathya Sai Suwa Seva', Suriya Foundation |
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Since its inception in November 1991, the Cardiac Unit has performed
over 2000 heart operations. The Kidney Centre, which has been in operation
since November 1992 has treated over 6000 patients.
