Moving Sai Seva in Fiji by New Zealand Devotees

[Guest guest]

MOVING SAI SEVA IN FIJI

 

 

 

 

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A week of inspiring service to the needy in the Fijian islands through well

planned medical camps by Sai devotees from New Zealand on the 18th to 25th

of March 2006.

 

 

 

Welfare services should be free for all. There are numerous people who

cannot afford the costs of medical treatment. Doctors should render free

service to such persons. - Sathya Sai Baba – Discourse on 3/06/1995

 

 

 

On the 18th of March, 2006, a major service project was initiated by members

of the Sathya Sai Service Organisation of New Zealand. Twenty-four devotees,

made up of doctors and volunteers, took a three hour flight north to the

Fiji islands to take part in five free medical camps coordinated by New

Zealand and Fiji devotees working hand in hand.

 

 

 

A Little About Fiji …

 

 

 

 

Fiji lies in the heart of the Pacific Ocean midway between the equator and

the South Pole. In the days of sailing ships it was known as the Cannibal

Isles and avoided by mariners because of its fierce warriors and treacherous

waters. Of Fiji's 330 islands (of which a third are inhabited), the majority

of the estimated population of 840,000 lives on the largest island of Viti

Levu, with about 200,000 residing on the second largest island, Vanua Levu.

 

 

 

Current State of Affairs

 

 

 

The current population breakdown is 50% Fijian, 34% of Indian descent, and

the remainder from other races. Not many years ago Indians made up just over

50% of the population but since the coups many have immigrated to countries

such as Australia , New Zealand and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Islands of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean

 

 

 

This has caused a depletion of qualified people which in turn has led to the

problems encountered today in remote areas where adequate health care is not

readily available.

 

 

 

Medical Camps For The Most Needy

 

 

 

 

 

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The medical camps were planned to be centred on Vanua Levu, which is

primarily made up of rural villages with poor infrastructure and little or

no access to basic medical care. Most on this island live on subsistence

plantations under difficult conditions. Moreover, the political upheavals of

the last decade have exacerbated their hardships, creating a feeling of

helplessness. Therefore the four medical camps were targeted to benefit

those most in need. These few sad statistics tell the story:

 

* Life expectancy on Vanua Levu is 67 years while in New Zealand and

Australia it is 80

* Maternal deaths from childbirth on Vanua Levu are 6 to 7 times

higher than in New Zealand and Australia

* Infant mortality is 3 to 4 times higher than in New Zealand and

Australia.

 

 

The people of Fiji

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteers Enthusiasm And Government’s Support

 

 

 

 

The planning for the proposed camps began during the last few months of 2005

when the Medical Coordinator for the Sathya Sai Medical Unit of New Zealand

spoke directly with Sai members in Fiji and using his own local knowledge of

the conditions and needs proposed the venue sites. The message went out to

all Sai Centres and groups throughout New Zealand and within a short while

eight MDs (including a surgeon), one Homeopathic Doctor, a Pharmacist and

fourteen volunteers had signed up and paid for their airfares.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The New Zealand Sai Organisation

 

 

 

The Sai service team in Fiji began arranging the sites where the camps were

to be held. As is the norm, when one has faith in Swami’s grace and

compassion doors open and four of the camps were held at schools situated in

the chosen area, with the fifth at a small health centre in the interior.

Knowing how beneficial these camps would be for the populace in these

regions, the Fijian Government’s Minister of Education gave permission for

the four schools to host the camps. As well, the schools gave assurances

that the Headmasters and teachers supported the program and would provide

lunch and drinking water for the medical staff and volunteers. Everyone

working together in unity and love to provide a much needed service to those

in real need without expectation of any personal reward was a living example

of Swami’s Love in Action.

 

 

 

Arrival, Preparation And Swami's Grace

 

 

 

At about 5:30 p.m. on the 18th of March, the team from New Zealand touched

down at Nadi Airport on the main island of Viti Levu. They all knew that

Swami was with them as the day they landed the weather changed from three

solid months of heavy rain and tropical storms to clear and calm. Also, to

make matters more interesting, prior to departing Auckland, the Australian,

UK, and US Governments posted warnings on their websites not to travel to

Fiji as there was a threat of yet another Army coup. (The New Zealand

Government however did not bother to follow suit.)

 

 

Nine cartons of drugs and medical supplies were brought, of which four were

donated by pharmaceutical companies in New Zealand with no strings attached..

The week prior to leaving, a volunteer travelled to Fiji and through a drug

wholesaler purchased twenty more boxes of supplies.

 

 

 

This was made possible by the Sai community in New Zealand who opened their

hearts and wallets to ensure that the team was self sufficient in the

required medications.

 

 

 

Also, a volunteer group in Auckland (who are not Sai devotees) gave three

cartons of used spectacles which they had sterilized, sorted, graded and

packed for the trip. These proved immensely valuable, especially in the

outer areas where most of the patients who needed them had no way to pay for

what was to them a luxury.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The principal islands of Fiji - Viti Levu and Vanua Levu

 

 

 

At the check in counter at Auckland Airport, God smiled on the group again.

Though most were travelling light, due to the cartons of medicines they were

still overweight on their luggage allowance. However, without question, the

Airline immediately gave a full dispensation. There is no such thing as

‘coincidence’ where God is involved.

 

 

 

After being picked up from Nadi Airport by Fiji devotees, a short briefing

session was held at the Sai Centre in Lautoka – a twenty minute drive from

the airport – followed by devotional singing and a meal lovingly prepared by

the local Sai members. The first camp was scheduled for the following day

(Sunday) at the Sai School in the Drasa area near Lautoka at 8:00 a.m., so

everyone dispersed to their host's homes for a good night’s sleep.

 

 

 

GETTING TO WORK: FIRST MEDICAL CAMP IN SAI SCHOOL, DRASA

 

“If They Can Sacrifice Their Time…I Can Give Up Just One Day” – A Local

Doctor

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday morning dawned beautifully and a hired bus drove the New Zealand

group to the camp accompanied by Sai devotees from the Lautoka area. They

arrivied at the Sai school venue at about 7:30 a.m., where to everyone’s

surprise, people were already queuing up to register to see a doctor.

 

 

 

The team was joined by six doctors from the hospital in Lautoka, a dental

unit from the same area, and an optometrist who were not Sai devotees but

heard about the camp and wanted to help. As one local doctor said:

 

I heard that a fairly large group was coming from New Zealand to hold a

medical camp here and I thought that if they can sacrifice their time and

effort to spend a week in the Fiji islands then surely I can give up just

one of my days off.

 

 

The doctors from New Zealand at work...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This camp was to be a learning curve for the team as most had not taken part

in such a large group venture like this before, and some felt a bit

apprehensive as to how the day might go. However, it proved to be a great

success. People came from surrounding villages, both Fijian and Indian

together, and the wonderful team of local helpers ensured that patients did

not have to wait too long and prescriptions were filled quickly. It was

clear but hot and humid and at about 3:00 p.m. God smiled yet again and

opened the heavens and delightful cooling rains fell. Immediately the high

heat dropped a bit and everyone felt refreshed.

 

 

 

Holding the medical camp at a school proved an excellent idea as the doctors

could use classrooms for consultations while others were available for the

dental unit and pharmacy, and so on.

 

 

 

“It Was Incredible…All Worked So Wonderfully” – A Local Camp Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

The last patient was treated at 6:00 p.m. and in total just over 530 people

had been seen, prescriptions issued where needed, and referrals to the

hospital in Lautoka made for more serious cases. The New Zealand team and

local doctors and volunteers worked extremely well together and all felt

that Swami had been with them throughout the day.

 

 

 

 

By 6 pm over 530 patients had been examined in the first medical camp at the

Sai School in Drasa.

 

 

It was incredible! No one knew who the doctors and volunteers from New

Zealand were until the first meeting that morning at the camp, but everyone

worked so wonderfully well together, joined together in unity and Swami’s

love that it is impossible to try and explain. The local villagers came on

Saturday and put up sun shelters and also helped set up the outside kitchen

as the decision was made to feed all who attended – patients and the medical

team. At the end, all went away very happy – both the patients and the team

of doctors and volunteers. I thank Swami for His grace and love He showered

upon us throughout the day.

 

- Camp Coordinator From Lautoka Sai Centre

 

The New Zealanders joined the local devotees at the Lautoka Sai Centre that

night for a light meal, devotional singing and debriefing. All agreed that

although they were tired, it had been an exercise in unity and love and a

definite need had been filled.

 

 

 

MEDICAL CAMP NUMBER TWO AT ISLAND VANUA LEVU

 

Adversity Becomes An Opportunity

 

 

 

Monday, March 20th, was again clear and dry as the New Zealand group arrived

at Nadi Airport for a 7:00 a.m. flight to Vanua Levu . This time they would

be accompanied by only three devotees from the main island – one GP from

Suva, one pharmacist from Lautoka, and a dentist from Suva. These three had

committed themselves to stay with the team for the next four medical camps.

An optometrist nurse joined up in Labasa and accompanied them to each camp

held there.

 

 

 

 

The original plan was to travel by bus, ferry, then bus again – driving

across the island of Viti Levu for three hours – then board the ferry for a

three hour crossing, then another bus for four hours before reaching

Labassa, the main town on Vanual Levu where they would have accommodations

at a motel.

 

 

 

It was not meant to be, however, as prior to leaving New Zealand they

learned that recent heavy rains had washed out some of the main roads from

the ferry port to Labasa.

 

 

 

So decisions were made to fly into Labasa via the local tourist airline.

Again this was no accident, since only needing one hour instead of ten for

travel enabled an additional medical camp to be held.

 

 

 

 

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The team lands at Labasa...

 

 

 

How Swami Came To The Rescue Yet Again

 

 

 

The two planes were small twin engine aircraft. One carried twenty members

of the team and the other took the rest and departed a half an hour later.

Since the aircraft were small, each person was weighed with their carryon

bags and allowed only 15kgs total luggage weight. As the team had picked up

most of the cartons of pharmaceuticals on their way to the airport, this

announcement caused some concern, but once again Swami was there. Suddenly a

devotee from the Lautoka Centre appeared who noticed the amount of cartons

needed to be taken and who just happened to work for the Fijian Airport

Aviation authorities. Within ten minutes all the personal bags and the

cartons of drugs were loaded and boarding passes issued. Silent prayers of

thanks were offered to Swami as the aircraft were boarded and the pilots

prepared to take off.

 

The flight to Labasa Airport was just over an hour and flying at 8000 feet

ensured an excellent view of the coral reefs and atolls passing by below.

They touched down just after 8:00 a.m. and after a half hour the second

plane arrived with the rest of the group. A bus had been arranged to ferry

the team around for the rest of the week and after being advised by the

airline’s representative that the baggage and cartons of medical supplies

would arrive at 11:00 a.m. on a special flight, the team headed directly to

the medical camp site. A few members returned with the bus to the airport to

collect the supplies.

 

 

 

Mutual Love, Compassion And Gratitude

 

 

 

 

 

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This camp was at a school in Waiqele, thirty minutes from the airport, and

would tend to the needs of those in the area and from Labasa. Many people

were already waiting to register, so the team quickly set up the rooms so

registrations and consultation could begin. They were ably assisted by local

Sai volunteers who stayed with the New Zealand team throughout the week and

proved themselves invaluable.

 

 

 

The one small glitch at this second camp was the distribution of

prescriptions as the supplies did not reach the camp until 11:30 a.m., but

after an initial busy period, things settled down and the team got into the

swing of things. The staff and management of the schools were all extremely

helpful and most worked right to the end. The schoolchildren were also very

cooperative, making room for us by doubling up into classrooms as they had

not been given a day off.

 

 

It was non-stop service from dawn to dusk...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local villagers supplied lunch to all who came and the bond of unity and

love between everyone was incredible. There was the occasional sadness when

the team found individuals with serious medical conditions only an

impossibly expensive operation at some faraway First World hospital could

fix, but the basic feeling was one of love and compassion for the patients

and gratitude and happiness shown by the villagers as they waited to be

seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

550 patients were treated and over 800 prescriptions filled on day one of

the second Medical Camp in Waiquele, on the Fijian Island of Vanua Levu.

 

The last patient was seen just after 6:00 p.m. and by the time everything

was packed up and loaded onto the bus it was nearly 7:00. On this day alone

over 550 patients were treated and well over 800 prescriptions filled.

 

 

 

Endearing Love of Local Sai Devotees

 

 

 

The local Sai devotees are small in number but not in spirit and had asked

to host the New Zealand team for their nightly meal which was held at a

different venue each evening in Labasa. The team unanimously agreed to go to

the host’s houses directly from the camps instead of first returning to

their accommodation, and this was the routine for the rest of the week. They

would travel to where they were going to be hosted, be formally greeted, and

after a brief wash up the New Zealand team would sing bhajans for thirty

minutes before eating. They always made an effort to sing English devotional

songs with some Maori songs included as well, and this made the local Sai

hosts happy.

 

No matter how tired the team felt at the end of the day's seva, once they

began singing to Lord Sai all feelings of weariness disappeared. It was

clearly noticeable that these sessions were of vital importance and helped

make the ending of each day just perfect.

 

 

 

MEDICAL CAMP NUMBER THREE IN LEKUTU VILLAGE

 

 

 

Tuesday morning the 21st of March the team arose at 4:30 a.m. as the bus was

picking them up at 5:30 for a three and a half journey into the hinterlands..

This camp was held in Lekutu village at a small medical centre staffed by a

sole senior nurse from the hospital in Labasa. This centre treated people

from villages within a 200km radius and was hopelessly under funded but

always tried to do the best they could with the minuscule resources they

were allotted.

 

 

 

 

Poor, Yet Smiling

 

 

 

The bus trip was long but seemed to go faster when bhajans were sung on the

way and a stop was made for a quick onboard breakfast. The first part of the

journey was on fairly good tar sealed roads but the last hour and a half

they were rough gravel and stone and pitted with pot holes. On the way they

saw people living in extreme poverty – small tin sheds as family homes and

gardens cultivated on tiny plots of land. But it was noticed that the

children who were walking to school were all tidy in clean clothes and

seemed happy, greeting us with lovely smiles as we passed by. Some of these

children walk two hours each way to school! The poverty affected both Fijian

and Indian families though in this region most of the patients that attended

the camp were native Fijians. The weather was extremely hot and humid and

team members had to drink a lot of water to keep from dehydrating.

 

 

 

 

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The bus could go no further in Lekutu Village

 

 

 

Challenges and Grace

 

 

 

The facilities were extremely small and it was amazing how everyone managed

to fit into the three tiny buildings that were available. The pharmacy

shared a room with two consulting doctors and just how the pharmacy team

managed to locate the prescribed medicines was something of a miracle in

itself. The pharmacist from New Zealand had his laptop and label machine set

up at the end of a rickety old bed and stood the whole day with only a ten

minute break for lunch. This was the norm for all the doctors and

volunteers. The pharmacist from Lautoka carefully checked each prescription

once it had been labelled before handing it out. Luckily power was available

as the prescription label machine made such a difference in the process. The

team found out later that the current to this centre had been down for

several days but was mysteriously reinstated a short time before the camp

started. The power source there was solar.

 

 

 

“I Am So Glad I Have Come…” – A Doctor From New Zealand

 

 

 

An important decision had been made by the team before any of the camps

started that no matter how late they had to work, all would be seen and no

one would be turned away.

 

 

 

 

 

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I had reservations when I was first contacted last year in regards to coming

to Fiji to take part in these medical camps as I had never been part of

something like this. I am so glad that I have come and have been a part of

this wonderful group of people. Every one of the group of doctors and

volunteers from New Zealand are working so incredibly well together and it

is as if they have been together like this for ever. We all can feel Swami’s

Divine presence and know it would not have been possible without His input.

I never realised how hard it is for people in a country so close to ours to

have such difficulties in accessing good health care. I feel very humble and

know that if I am invited to attend the next venture in Fiji then I will not

hesitate to put my hand up.

 

 

I was an incredible experience for the doctors..

 

 

 

– A doctor from New Zealand

 

 

 

“We Pray That You Come Again Next Year” – A Village Elder in Lekutu

 

 

 

The people attending this camp were so grateful that the team had made the

effort to come into such a remote area. They told our doctors some had come

from 80 to 100km away while others journeyed on horseback. They also

explained that what made the difference was that the doctors listened to

them, treated them with love and respect and touched them. In some cases

they felt cured by just having spoken to one of the doctors and being heard..

Others said that they could never afford to go to Labasa for medicines and

felt that God had helped them.

 

 

 

 

At this camp, the dentist from Suva carried out over 60 extractions in one

day and explained that this was the only possible treatment as these

unfortunate people could not afford to travel to Labasa or have dental work

done. Some of them had been suffering from decaying teeth for a long time

and their relief was plainly seen by all.

 

 

 

We are so happy that the team from New Zealand have come. We heard some time

back that you were coming here and the word spread like wildfire. Your time

with us today will give us all an everlasting memory and we pray that you

will come back next year. If you do so, we will look after all of you in our

village. Thanks to you all for your care and love. May God be with you

always.

 

– A Fijian Elder from local village at Lekutu Medical Camp

 

 

 

 

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Registrations going on in the Lekutu Camp...

 

 

 

Worn-out But Happy And Humbled

 

 

 

This camp finished at 6:00 p.m. and none of the Fijian people left the area

until the team packed up. Then they insisted that every team member be

presented with a fresh coconut to drink at a special ceremony, which was

touching. Once again there was a lot of love and humour, but also an

incredible sense of unity as everyone worked together in the humid and

cramped conditions. Most of the donated spectacles were given out here as

the optometrist found many villagers had been suffering from bad eyesight

for years. Those people in New Zealand who made this possible with their

donation of eyeglasses should be pleased to know their contribution helped a

great many people. 610 patients were seen and over 900 prescriptions given

out. It was an exhausting but rewarding day for all who took part.

 

 

 

 

The long bus ride back to Labasa was tiring but once the group had their

evening meal and sang some bhajans, their weariness disappeared. Oh how God

loves it when His devotees sing to Him with love and reverence even after a

fatiguing day. It was after midnight when the team finally got to bed,

worn-out but happy and humbled by what they had seen and experienced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Second Medical Camp in Lekutu Village, 610 patients were seen and

more than 900 prescriptions were given out.

 

THE FOURTH MEDICAL CAMP AT SEAQAQA VILLAGE

 

 

 

On Wednesday the 22nd of March, the team was up bright and early to travel

to the next site at a school in the village of Seaqaqa ninety minutes away.

The team arrived at 7:00 a.m. and set up the rooms that had been allocated

and again found there were people already queuing up to register and another

busy day was on the way.

 

 

 

“You Bring With You God’s Love…” – Headmaster of Seaqaqa School

 

 

 

This area had an equal amount of Fijian and Indian patients and a concerted

effort was made to treat the elderly, the seriously ill and very young

first. The volunteers involved in registrations were extremely grateful when

some men from the local village offered to help with crowd control as this

certainly made a difference in the number of people seen.

 

 

 

 

The Headmaster of the school, a local Fijian man, made an impassioned speech

later in the day on the difference the team from New Zealand and those from

Labasa were making.

 

We are extremely happy that you have come here to help our people. All of

you have come from a long way away, yet we feel that we have known you for

ever. Surely God has sent you and you bring with you His love. You have come

here without any expectations yet you are willing to work long hours as part

of your philosophy. Please come back again, we will always host you when you

do so

 

– Headmaster, Seaqaqa School

 

 

 

 

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The makeshift pharmacy at the Seaqaqa Camp

 

 

 

A Fulfilling Experience

 

 

 

The people waited in good humour and in harmony with each other. Most

families who attended had brought their own lunch and made a day of it but

there were some who needed feeding and this was provided by the staff of the

school.

 

 

 

 

 

Over 650 patients were examined and 900 prescriptions given out at the

Fourth Medical Camp in Seaqaqa Village

 

 

 

Though the day was extremely busy for everyone and did not finish until 7:00

p.m., it was a rewarding experience for all who were part of it. Well over

650 patients were seen and the prescription count topped 900. All were seen

and some with serious problems were referred to Labasa hospital for special

appointments. That night the bhajans were very sweet and sung with much

devotion and love. No one felt weary, just happy and grateful to Swami for

making this special project possible.

 

 

 

THE FIFTH AND FINAL MEDICAL CAMP AT NALEBA SCHOOL

 

 

 

 

 

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Thursday the 23rd of March was the day of the final camp, held at Naleba

School , about forty-five minutes from Labasa. Though the school grounds

were beautiful, this region is very poor and the people struggle to survive..

 

 

 

 

Much of this poverty is the result of the coups over the past fifteen years

as Indian sugar cane farmers have had to surrender leases on the land

leaving them virtually with nothing.

 

 

 

Once again the team began early and arrived at the school at 7:00 a.m. to

find people already queuing up for registration. The school Headmaster and

his staff were extremely helpful and kept the situation under control and

allowed some of the senior children to help out.

 

 

 

 

At the camp at Naleba School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Busiest And Most Blessed Day

 

 

 

 

By midday people were growing anxious they might not be seen due to the

large crowds pouring in but the team reassured everyone they would treat all

who registered and people settled down under shady trees and awnings that

had been erected to await their turn. The problem of registrations was

solved by giving everyone a number and using a loud hailer to announce these

numbers as the doctors were freed up. This worked very well and allowed

people to spread out under trees throughout the grounds and not worry about

being missed.

 

 

 

 

By the end of the day in the Fifth Medical Camp in Naleba School, a total of

760 patients were seen and 1200 prescriptions filled and dispensed.

 

 

 

 

 

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This day turned out to be the busiest of all. The last patient was seen at

8:00 p.m. and by the time the final prescription was handed out it was 9:00..

By the end of the day a total of 760 patients were seen and 1200

prescriptions filled and dispensed.

 

 

 

Before leaving, eight cartons of medicines were donated to the medical

centre at Lekutu so the nurse there could administer medications prescribed

to certain patients for many months to come.

 

 

 

Local health authorities gave assurances that prescriptions would be

supplied for as long as the patients needed them.

 

 

 

 

People waiting to be seen at the Nabela Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Touching Love Of Doctors Helped Many People Over Their Ailments” – A

Local Sai Volunteer

 

 

 

One of the volunteers from Labasa, a Sai lady devotee who came to help for

this one day, explained through an interpreter:

 

 

 

 

I am a kindergarten teacher and I prayed to Baba that I wanted to help the

New Zealanders and do some service at the last camp. Baba answered my

prayers and I was allowed to close the kindergarten early and go to the

school to help. We heard that the doctors and other people there were doing

wonderful work and in such a loving way. People were saying to me that these

doctors from New Zealand were talking to each patient, listening to each

one, helping them and touching them with love. And it was this touching that

helped many people over their ailments. I could feel Baba’s presence there

so strongly and was so happy that He allowed me to help them. We have good

doctors in Labasa hospital as well but they are always so busy that they

probably do not have the time to spend with each patient as these people do..

Everyone here has been so happy that the New Zealand people have come and

wish that they can come more often. If they do so then I want to help again

..

 

 

 

 

<http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01MAY06/images/WTSS/fiji/queuing-

late-afternoon.jpg>

 

 

 

 

 

 

People queuing up till late afternoon

 

 

 

The team left the school at 9:30 p.m. to travel a short distance to another

Sai devotee’s place for their evening meal. Once again, singing bhajans

before partaking of the food revived them. All experienced an inner joy and

peace as they knew that these camps would never have been so successful

without Swami overseeing everything in His quiet and loving way.

 

 

 

Heading Home And Final Thoughts

 

 

 

“The Whole Exercise Was Possible Because Of Sai’s Grace” – A Team Member

 

I doubt very much if any other group of people who had never worked together

before under such trying conditions would have completed these medical camps

without serious internal problems or disharmony. I have never worked before

with people who just seemed to be made for each job they took on. The unity

and the love between all who were here was just incredible and no one showed

dissent or argued against any joint decisions that were made at different

times. The whole exercise was only made possible because of Swami’s grace

and love for us and because of our love for Him and our determination to try

and be examples of His teachings.

 

– A Team Member

 

 

The New Zealand group flew back to the main island on Friday morning with

well over 3000 patients being seen over the five days of camps. They all

felt extremely blessed to have been part of the project but also humbled at

what they had seen and experienced.

 

 

 

 

Over 3000 patients were examined over five days of camps in remote and rural

areas of Fiji.

 

One can only hope that devotees in other First World nations will look

beyond their own comfort zones and see the opportunities for seva that

abound in nearby countries.

 

 

 

Fiji is in New Zealand ’s backyard – a mere three hour flight away – but the

difference in available health care is huge. For instance, in Fiji , whether

out in the hinterlands or close to a main town, a person suffering a heart

attack has no chance for an operation as there is nothing in the way of

heart surgical wards or specialists available. Only those with enough money

for flights to New Zealand or Australia and heart surgery and post operative

care might survive. But such huge costs are beyond the means of almost all,

especially those in the villages struggling to make ends meet.

 

 

 

The Sai-Inspired Guidelines That Ensured Success

 

 

 

A few important points that should be noted are:

 

* The team chose to be self sufficient in pharmaceuticals and not have

to rely on any one else so all medical needs were ordered and paid for prior

to the camps starting.

 

 

* The team paid for all their own airfares, both international flights

and the internal Fijian flights and all accommodations as well. Even though

they did not want to be a burden on the Sai devotees in Labasa and were

happy to have arranged their own meals on returning to base each day, these

evening satsangs with the local people proved to be extremely beneficial for

all and an important aspect of the whole venture.

 

* Each morning before commencing the camps, prayers were offered to

Swami asking Him for His love and guidance throughout the day ahead.

 

* At a planning session it was decided the camps should be continuous

with no days taken off between them so the energy and commitment would not

abate as the priority was in helping those less fortunate than themselves.

Everyone afterwards felt that this was the correct way to do it.

 

* Even though the Sai community in Labasa offered to accommodate the

team over the four nights they were there, it was agreed it would be best if

the group stayed together in the motel accommodation. They felt if any one

of them needed help or support then the entire team was available to respond

as a unit…or like a family.

 

* The team members felt that they had been the main beneficiaries of

this service project.

 

 

 

 

 

All the doctors and volunteers from New Zealand and Sai volunteers from Fiji

could sense Swami’s presence throughout the whole exercise. Small miracles

kept happening that could not be explained as coincidences and it was He who

ensured there were no serious hiccups or insurmountable problems. Swami's

love and compassion touched each and every patient through the care that the

doctors and volunteers allowed to flow through them.

 

 

 

Courtesy: <http://radiosai.org> http://radiosai.org