ISKCON's social and welfare development: holistic care

[Guest guest]

Dear Raktambara Prabhu

 

PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

As promised here is the message you have so kindly agreed to send to

all com users across the globe.

 

Please despatch at your earliest convenience.

 

Thank you for your much appreciated support.

 

Your servant.

 

Hari-dhama dasa

 

------------------FORWARDED MESSAGE TO ALL COM USERS--------------------

 

Dear Maharaja and Prabhu

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

It was during the final months of HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada's life on earth when he expressed the desire that facilities for

the spiritual and psycho-social care of the terminally ill and dying devotee

be made available in the Holy Dhamas.

 

ISKCON has an obligation to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desire. It

should also see to the holistic care of at least its initiated followers

when they are faced with the inevitability of old age and physical death.

(Please see paper "Spiritual Care, Need and Pain - Recognition and Response

in ISKCON" by this author in the forthcoming "ISKCON Communications Journal"

- ICJ)

 

Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai is the first serious step in the

right direction. Plans are currently underway to provide hospice care in

both Vrndavan and Mayapur.

 

It is our aim and objective to see to it that palliative care

(management of pain and disease symptoms in the terminally ill) form part of

our social, health and welfare fabric.

 

To enable us to provide all devotees with professional care we need

to liaise both with suitably trained and experienced ISKCON devotees as well

as with professionals from outside our Society. The latter is presently

underway with medical institutes here in the United Kingdom.

 

However, we urgently need to set-up a data base of devotees around

the globe who are trained, experienced and willing to participate in

whatever way they deem appropriate, now and in the future, with this vital

service. Devotees undergoing training and planning to do training in the

future should also reply.

 

The disciplines we are particularly interested in are:

 

1. medical (cancer, palliative, medicine, etc.)

2. nursing (general, cancer, palliative, etc.)

3. counselling (bereavement, spiritual, etc.)

4. therapies (occupational, physio., psycho. etc.)

5. alternative and complimentary therapies and medicine

6. medical and nursing administration and management

 

Please communicate with me on hari-dhama.mg (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se or write to

me at 4A Church Vale, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2UW, UK. Telefax:

0181-2910209 with your name, address, telephone, and e-mail, mentioning your

interest, qualification(s) and experience.

 

Thank you kindly.

 

Your servant.

 

Hari-dhama dasa