SRI SATHYA SAI MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES                 ANDHRA PRADESH

                             -A Project Healing with love at no costs

Introduction

Sathya Sai Baba of India has laid down the following four guiding principles for HIS health-care initiatives:

1. Medical care must be provided free of charge.

2. Medical care must be administrated with love and care.

3. Every patient must be given the best available treatment.

4. Finally, “Treat the patient and not merely the disease.”   

Keeping in mind the above guiding principles, eight miniature mobile hospitals with most modern diagnostic equipment including  X-ray, E.C.G., semi auto analyzer, haemoid meter, Centrifuge, auto clave, steam sterilizer, eye-refraction equipment, ophthalmology scope, nebulizer, dental equipment, and gynecology test kit have been acquired to take health care to the doorsteps of the needy, ill, and poor villagers in the districts of Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, YSR Kadapa, Mahabubnagar, Hyderabad, and Srikakulam.

With these Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospitals, primary care is being rendered along with health and hygiene awareness education. With the help of voluntary services of doctors, paramedical staff, and and Sai volunteers (sevadals), the patients who need critical, secondary, and tertiary care will be taken up in the affiliated nursing homes to our organization in towns and cities and will be provided with the essential medical care with love and compassion.

Service with love and care

More than 29,000 patients coming from 156 villages in 121 camps were treated during 2012-13, with love and care. The most important aspect of these camps is to identify the chronic cases and provide the patients with required medical help in city hospitals. The kind of relief that was extended in follow-up cases is commendable, and it scales up to a highly disciplined approach and one-to-one follow up. The response from the doctors and volunteers is more of a devotional and service attitude. The follow-up cases are picked up from medical camps, which are organized on a regular basis so that villagers and beneficiaries would know the date and time of medical service in their village.     

Dedicated work force

478 Doctors are blessed with this service. They cover the specialties of general medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, ophthalmology, dentistry, pediatrics, ENT, cardiology, orthopedic, and neurology. Sathya Sai volunteers numbering more than 500 are involved in different locations and camps apart from district and state level planners.

Divine service with full time

The follow-up cases are a big responsibility. They need complete attention, since the patients are completely illiterate and need a through follow-up, taking care of their accommodation, food, and transport. One retired senior officer from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Sri G Bhaskar Rao, State Joint Coordinator of the Mobile medical services of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation of Andhra Pradesh State, has totally been involved in these follow-up cases right from the village to city, visit to hospital, operations, and sending the people back to their village.  He has completely dedicated his full time to this wonderful and divine service to the poor villagers. Even at the age of 65 years, he works 7 days in a week, providing a valuable service to the villagers.

Gigantic work output

1774 patients got ophthalmic care, 297 cataract surgeries were done, and 1477 eye glasses were given to  patients. 162 patients underwent general surgeries, and 5 patients had orthopedic surgeries. 124 cardiac cases and 185 gynecology cases are also attended to. 82 patients have undergone ENT check-ups and treatment. Audiogram was done for hearing-impaired individuals at Hyderabad. 20 ENT surgeries were done, and 10 hearing aids were given.

Over 2779 patients had dental procedures/treatments like extractions, fillings, scaling, partial dentures, full set dentures, and dental fluoride stains removals.

4168 patients had lab tests like blood/urine tests. 361 ECG tests were done to diagnose intricate ailments, monitor chronic diseases, and uncover asymptomatic ailments. More than 500 patients with chronic ailments like diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases,and thyroid problems were treated, monitored, counseled, and provided with medicines.

Follow-up cases

Hundreds of follow-up cases come across in the medical camps. Some seem to be serious, and volunteers make note of these them, arrange dates for operation/treatment, bring the patients to Hyderabad City, accommodate them in local Sathya Sai Temples, and provide them with food and other necessities. The next day, the patients are taken to the hospital, where doctors carry out investigations and take up surgeries. In some cases, the patient is asked to come for many sittings/visits; Sathya Sai Volunteers pay for incidentals and arrange the operation dates. A few patients are described below; many such cases have been taken up during the period.

Case No 1Master Lord Sai (M/13), giant tumor

An orphan boy from one of the Sai Centers from Ubalanka, near Ravulapalem, E.G. Dist., suffering from a giant tumor on his right hand, referred to Hyderabad for treatment/surgery. He was taken and shown in Indo American Cancer Institute/Osmania Hospitals. After conducting various investigations like blood tests, X-Ray, MRI, bone scanning, and bone angiogram, Dr. Kodandapani, MS, Ortho Surgeon, performed surgery on 21.6.2012, and the patient was discharged on 4.7.2012 after recovery. The State President, SSSSO, AP visited Osmania Hospital on 23.7.2012 and saw the patient.

Case No 2: Sri G. Anjaneyulu, (M/45), synovial sarcoma

As part of Mobile Health Services, a cancer detection camp, (Uni Speciality camp) was conducted at Medipur on 10.11.2012. During the course of the camp, one Sri Gunti Anjaneyulu, (M/45) had come for checkup and was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma of the left thigh. He was referred to Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer and Research Institute, Hyderabad, for further investigations and treatment. Accordingly the patient came to Hyderabad on 31.12.2012.

The patient has been registered under Rajiv Aarogya Sri Scheme in Indo American Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad and several investigations including biopsy, histopathology, immune histo chemistry (IHC) were done. It was diagnosed as a case of synovial sarcoma. The patient was admitted to the hospital on 28.1.2013 and suggested for palliative chemotherapy. The patient underwent treatment for a long time. Hyderabad volunteers (sevadals) (Vanasthalipuram Samithi) rendered noble service in this case.

Case No 3: Ghousuddin (M/40), Fracture at femur right side

Sri Ghousuddin from village Mamidigi of Medak District has under gone surgery for a fracture at the femur right side nonunion fracture with ORIF on 20.7.2012 at Narayana Hrudalalaya Super Specialty Hospital, Jeedimetla, Hyderabad. The surgery took seven hours, which shows the seriousness of the fracture. The patient was discharged on 30.7.2012, and doctors advised the patient to come for review after six weeks. The patient is now totally recovered and attending his all normal duties.

Case No 4: Sri M. Srinivasa Rao, (M/49), Big sebaceous cyst

During one of the regular Mobile Medical Services  at Krishna District, one Sri  Moka Srinivasa Rao,(M/49) was suffering from infected big sebaceous cyst, which was affecting his daily activities. The patient was admitted to the Swamy Devotee hospital; surgery was conducted on 15.8.2012 by a devotee general surgeon. The surgery was successful, and the patient became comfortable and is attending to his normal duties. 

 

Case No 5: Master Rohit, (M/04), spinal cord correction

A 4 year old boy, Chi. Rohit, was diagnosed during a routine medical checkup at Poleti Tippa village near Machilipatnam with a congenital anomaly: MENINGOCELE OF SPINAL CORD.  If this was not corrected, the boy would suffer paralysis of both legs and would lose control in passing motion and urine in few months’ time. The boy was taken to a neuro surgeon at NRI Hospital and the defect was corrected in January 2013. The boy is doing well after the operation.

Case No 6: N. Lakshmana Rao, (M/55), (Tribal), fire accident

Sri Lakshmana Rao met with a fire accident five years back, and his right leg was burnt and twisted. The doctors in the Mobile Health Services camp suggested him for follow up treatment. The patient was brought to Rajahmundry and admitted to the  Sai Orthopedic Hospital Rajahmundry for further treatment. Doctors did the treatment free of cost until the patient was totally recovered and discharged. The local Samithi (Sai Center) provided medicines and food to the patient. 

Case No 7:  Smt  Saramma, (F/25) (Tribal women), mentally retarded case

Smt. Saramma, a Tribal woman residing at Busigudem became mentally retarded due to her husband’s misbehavior. She spent sleepless nights without food for her husband and became mad. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, East Godavari District, while doing Mobile Health Services at Rampachodavaram, Agency area, East Godavari District, identified this patient, and she was brought to Rajahmundry and was admitted to the mental hospital. After 21 days of treatment, she recovered 75%. She was given further treatment, recovered totally, and was sent back home. Medicines and food were provided by the local Sai Center (Samithi).

ENT and eye surgeries are regularly taken up to benefit the villagers; a few examples are given.

Case No 8:  ENT surgeries                                            Case No 9: Cataract surgery

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Info

For Additional Information:

Project Coordinator: Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation-Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

Contact Persons: 

  1. Sri G Bhaskar Rao, State Joint Coordinator, Mobile Medical Services, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Telangana, mail ID: gangeyulain@yahoo.com
  2. Sri S G Chalam, State President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation-Andhra Pradesh, mail ID: sgchalam@yahoo.com / sp.ap@ssssoindia.org
  3. Sri P Venkat Rao, State President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Telangana

Mail id sp.tg@ssssoindia.org

  1. For General enquiries:  Sri D Vishnu Vardhan Rao, admin@ssssoindia.org  dvvrao@yahoo.com  Mob +91 9440896720

 

Keywords

Health care, Andhra Pradesh, follow-up medical care, mobile hospital services, villagers health care, Krishna District, hearing aids, ENT operations, cataract operations, orphan boy,

Project Details

Project start: 11/23/11

Project completion:

Stage of development:

Zone name: India

Lat/Longitude: 16° 30' N 80° 38' E

Affiliation: Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Andhra Pradesh

Service category: Hospital service

Author: Vishnu Donger

Project leader: S G Chalam & P Venkat Rao

Mobile medical van

Case 1 Master Lord Sai

Case 2 G Anjeneyulu

Case 3 Ghousoddin

Case 4 M Srinivasa Rao operation

Case 5 Rohit with parents

Case 6 Lakshaman Rao

Case 6 Lakshaman Rao after treatment

A village girl receiving a hearing aid