Sathya Sai Institutions and Central Trust and Service Projects - 1 An Overview

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A small Request - Even though most of you would be knowing about the Things written below, Please send it to as many people as possible : Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust was founded by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, as a public charitable trust in the year 1972. The trust has been serving society in the fields of Health and Education since inception. More recently, the Trust has taken up the project for supplying safe drinking water to rural areas. The guiding philosophy of the trust is that drinking water, medicine, and education being the

fundamental needs of every individual, should be available to everyone free of cost. The activities of the trust can be broadly classified into four broad categories: Education Medical relief Relief to the poor Objects of general public utility EducationValue Education The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is perhaps one of the few institutions in the country in the field of Higher Education which emphasise character building as much, if not more than, mere academic excellence. It is based on Bhagawan Baba's contribution to the

world of learning in the form of Education in Human Values as extended to Higher Education. The single golden thread that runs through the gamut of all the activities of the Institute . Curricular, co-curricular and extra curricular, is that education is for life and not for mere living. The uniqueness of the Institute lies in the academic environment being suffused with pure Love, and the students being moulded in a spirit of sacrifice and service to the community. Baba has been stressing that the end of education is character and that the true meaning of education is not merely knowledge, but knowledge in action. The emphasis is on purity and harmony of thoughts, words and action. Knowledge and skills are imparted in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in an atmosphere of tenderness and intense love. The type of education provided here is

education that ensures absorption of knowledge, accumulation of wisdom and an appreciation of the experience of ancient ideals of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema and Ahimsa. In the scheme of Integral Education of the Institute, it endeavours to combine through its awareness programmes and thoughtfully designed curricular and co-curricular programmes, academic excellence with duty and devotion; erudition through purity and meditation, healthfulness through yoga and service, social and national awareness through field and project work, and a sense of unity and world brotherhood through acquaintance with seekers of truth from all parts of the world. The major focus at the Institute, apart from academic excellence, is the development of character, correct attitudes and values. Each student is assisted to conduct himself in consonance with the highest principles of humility and integrity. Speaking on the role of the Educational System in building the right values, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Revered Chancellor of the Institute, observed as early as 25 years ago that human values are the need of the hour . not only in educational institutions but in every walk of life and throughout the world. Human values cannot be promoted merely by repeating the words Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. The heart cannot be transformed by lessons in a classroom. What is needed are the persons who will provide the stimulus and the encouragement to bring them out. The world cannot be changed by mere preaching. It is only through action and practical examples, in all-educational institutions, can the impulse for change be intensified. When teachers and elders practice disciplined and regulated life and when human values are fully imbibed by them, the students will automatically follow. Truth and Right Conduct should be

adhered to with pure intentions. A righteous life leads to peace. Love is to be experienced in the depths of peace. Love should find expression in non-violence. These basic values have to be demonstrated in action and not limited to preaching alone. Clarifying that secularism really means equal respect for all faiths and beliefs, Baba stated that Sri Sathya Sai Institute is truly secular in this sense because its philosophy as well as methodology are based on equal respect for all religions and that we are wedded to Unity and harmony as evident from the Institute's Emblem, work ethos and content of Courses,both curricular and co-curricular. "The medium of instruction in this Institute is discipline; the first, second and the third languages are love, service and Sadhana". It is a known fact that the cost of tertiary medical care is beyond the reach of the average person, not to mention the poor. The provision of such treatment has also become a commercial enterprise with all the attendant abuses. The guiding principle driving all the medical relief activities of the trust could be summed up as follows: Medicine for all: Medical aid should be the right of every individual irrespective of caste, creed, nationality or colour. To free Medicine from the stigma of Commercialisation: The act of healing should be restored to its pristine sanctity, which can only be done when it ceases to be a commodity bought and sold in the market. Human Values in Medical Care: The human agents of

delivery system of health care, be they Health Administrators, Doctors, Nurses or Technicians, should be perfectly human in thought, word and deed. They should demonstrate the five Human Values . Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence in every act of theirs. Much has been spoken about this integrated concept throughout the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) too has actively advocated it. This integration is being effectively implemented in a thorough and professional manner at Prasanthi Gram. Primary Health Care Medical camps are organised on a regular basis in rural areas where patients are given medicines free of cost. Hundreds of thousands of patients

are treated for eye ailments and thousands of cataract operations are performed. Free medical dispensaries are being run at various places by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations. Blood donation camps are organised. Medical teams from Sri Sathya Sai Organisations of various states visit Orphanages, Old Age Homes, and Leprosy Homes etc. for medical checkup on a continuous basis. Secondary Health Care ( The General Hospital ) Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital at Prasanthi Nilayam and Sri Sathya Sai Hospital at Whitefield, Bangalore render free medical aid to the poor rural population. These Hospitals have made steady progress and blossomed as institutions offering a high quality service to the

helpless villagers. These hospitals now offer up to date facilities. The dedicated and selfless service of the resident doctors and doctors who visit the hospitals from time to time have resulted in the phenomenal growth of these hospitals. Majority of the patients, who come for treatment to the General Hospitals and Super-speciality Hospital, are from socially and economically weaker sections of society. Mother Easwaramma had expressed her desire that there should be a hospital for all the poor people of Puttaparthi. Bhagawan had promised her that it would be done at the proper time. Accordingly, in 1956 Puttaparthi was blessed with its first hospital. What started as a small two-bed hospital has blossomed over the years to a full-fledged 100-bed hospital. Under the benign guidance of Bhagawan another hospital was opened

at Whitefield, Bangalore. Being on the outskirts of a fast expanding city meant that the hospital had to grow at a great speed. Today that hospital too has become large enough to handle more than 1000 patients daily. Both hospitals today have speciality units. The various departments in the general hospitals are: General Medicine Paediatrics General Surgery Orthopedic Surgery Plastic Surgery Urology ENT Surgery Ophthalmology Sri Sathya Sai Eye Bank Obstetrics and Gynaecology Tertiary

Health Care (The Super - Speciality Hospital) The Super Speciality Hospital is the tertiary link in the chain of health care. Leading doctors specialising in the fields of Cardiology, Urology, Nephrology, Ophthalmology etc. come from different parts of the World on their own and render their services free of cost Most of the patients who come for treatment to the Super Speciality Hospital are from socially and economically weaker sections of society. The Hospital provides excellent patient care facilities to all free of cost. Even Heart Surgeries like CABG, Valve replacement and Kidney transplantation are done entirely free of cost in the hospital. The Super Speciality Hospital (Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences) was setup at Prasanthi Gram (about 9 kms. from Prasanthi Nilayam) under the auspices of the Sri Sathya Sai Medical Trust in the year 1991 to demonstrate that medical care of the highest quality even in highly specialised fields like Cardiology, Urology, Nephrology, Ophthalmology etc can be provided totally free of cost. The aim of the Trust is to ensure that ailing persons receive the best treatment, irrespective of their caste, creed, or social status. The Super-Speciality hospital acts as a nucleus for the extension of primary health care at village levels in the surrounding areas. Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital at Prasanthi Nilayam and Sri Sathya Sai Hospital at Whitefield, Bangalore extend the secondary health care and finally

the Super-Speciality Hospital acts as the tertiary link in the chain of total health care. Some of the interesting surgeries performed in this department: Mobile left atrial clot with Rheumatic mitral stenosis. Left ventricle to aorta tunnel. Anomalous left coronary artery arising from pulmonary artery. Arterial switch. Aortopulmonary window. Coronary artery bypass grafting with Radical Rt. Hemicolectomy and Cholecystectomy, Left ventricular myxoma. Combined aortic root. Ascending aorta and arch replacement for chronic dissecting aneurysm. Repair of a huge ascending aorta aneurysm that had eroded the chest wall. Closure of ventricular septal defect in a baby weighing 4.5 kgs. Relief to the Poor The Trust undertakes various activities, such as providing food, clothing, shelter, etc for the benefit of the poor on a regular basis. It also conducts mass marriages entirely free of cost for the poor and needy. The Central Trust is the nodal agency, which lays down the policy guidelines for all service activities which are carried out by the State Trusts all over India. In almost every town in India, Sri Sathya Sai Organisations are carrying out charitable activities meant for the welfare of the needy. Some of the activities undertaken are: Polio, blood donation, eye screening camps etc. Visits to Hospitals, leprosy homes, orthopaedic centres, maternity homes with food, clothes, etc. Distribution of clothes, food to the poor Rehabilitation programmes for orphans, delinquents, etc. Village upliftment programmes Giving educational scholarships to the disabled Providing various facilities to people in times of earthquake, floods, etc. General Public Utility The Trust has been

constructing/renovating community halls, schools, temples in a number of villages around Prasanthi Nilayam for the benefit of the local populace. The Trust has also constructed buildings to accommodate patients who come for treatment, doctors, nurses, technicians and other paramedical staff who come from different parts of the world for rendering services free of cost. Visiting professors, educationists, intellectuals, academicians etc who come for delivering lectures at the University, artistes coming for cultural performances are also provided accommodation. The Trust has also made suitable arrangements for the convenience of visitors to Prasanthi Nilayam, who come to imbibe the moral, ethical, cultural and human values espoused by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on a continuous basis. The Trust has established convention centres with a view to promoting the cultural, moral and ethical standards of people by conducting

symposia, debates, and discussions on Indian culture and tradition. The Trust also strives to foster national integrity and unity among people by organising cultural festivals, sports and games, competitions. Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Supply Project One of the unique charitable activities undertaken by the Trust is the provision of drinking water to lakhs of people in the drought-prone rural areas of Anantapur, Medak and Mahaboobnagar Districts of Andhra Pradesh.The problem of drinking water in India is acute. Of a total number of about 13 lakh habitats, 4 lakh habitats are either not covered at all or only partially covered. It is therefore very appropriate that the

Trust has taken the initiative for providing safe drinking water through the "Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project", which has become a model for other districts in the State and the Country. The SRI SATHYA SAI WATER SUPPLY PROJECT for Anantapur district was undertaken during the years 1995-97. Ananthpur district one of the most chronically drought affected areas in the country, where the available ground water has high fluoride content.It is in fact in the context of such high fluoride content that the project was designed to make use of surface water from the Tungabhadra Canal.This project is unique in many ways.It is the first of its kind in the country in its scope. Secondly, it is the first project totally funded by a Charitable Trust. Thirdly, it was completed in a record time.

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