Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital

Founder: Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Locations: Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India. Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Established: Prasanthigram: 1991 and Whitefield: 2001
SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram: Departments of Cardiology, CTVS, Urology, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedics and Gastroenterology (endoscopy).
SSSIHMS, Whitefield: Departments of Cardiology, CTVS, Neurology and Neuro-surgery

Websites: http://psg.sssihms.org.in and http://wfd.sssihms.org.in

Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/user/sssihmspsg
Super Speciality Hospital, Puttaparthi, A.P., India

The Sri Sathya Sai Institutes of Higher Medical Sciences also popularly known as Super Specialty Hospitals are tertiary health care hospitals established by Sri Sathya Sai Baba to provide patient care facilities to all irrespective of caste, class, creed, gender, religion or nationality totally free of charge.[1] There are two super specialty hospitals, the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh and the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Mission statement

The Sri Sathya Sai Institutes of Higher Medical Sciences (run by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust) follow the guiding principles laid down by Sri Sathya Sai Baba.[2]

Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital, Whitefield (suburb of Bangalore), Karnataka, India

History

The Sri Sathya Sai Medical Care Division runs five medical institutions.[3] The following table depicts the dates of inauguration of the hospitals under the Sri Sathya Sai Medical Care Division.

S.No Name of the Institution Year of establishment
1 Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, Prasanthi Nilayam 1956
2 Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, Whitefield, Bangalore 1976
3 Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi 1991
4 Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore 2001
5 Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital 2006

The history of the hospitals goes back to 23 November 1954 when the foundation stone of the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, Puttaparthi was laid. The hospital was inaugurated on 4 October 1956. The hospital initially had twelve beds. It catered mainly to the local villagers and devotees who would visit Sai Baba's Prasanthi Nilayam Ashram. Treatment for in-patients and out-patients was given totally free and continues to be so to this day (as is the case with all institutions established by Sai Baba). The hospital has the departments of General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatrics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Similarly a general hospital was inaugurated in Bangalore near Sai Baba's ashram of Brindavan in 1976. This hospital apart from the facilities available in the Puttaparthi general hospital has the facilities of Urology, Orthopaedics, Plastic Surgery and Psychiatry.

As demands on the hospital inaugurated in 1956 increased need was felt for the construction of a new building, equipped with all medical facilities. During the birthday discourse on 23 November 1990, Sai Baba announced that a new tertiary care, i.e., super-specialty hospital will be constructed. Within one year the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi was constructed and was inaugurated on 22 November 1991.[4]

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore was inaugurated on 19 January 2001. The latest addition to the list of the hospital has been the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital, which as the name suggests is a hospital on wheels. The mobile hospital visits villages in and around Puttaparthi and endeavours to bring healthcare to the doorstep of the patients. The mobile hospital received national recognition when it was awarded "Commendation for Innovation in Transforming Lives" award by CNBC-TV18.[5]

Sathya Sai Baba was checked into the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi hospital due to health problems and left his mortal coil on 24 April 2011.

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, Puttaparthi

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi has 300 beds and 12 surgical units, five intensive care units, two cardiac catheterisation laboratories, medical and surgical wards and a 24-hour emergency unit. The hospital provides free treatment to all patients.

On 23 November 1990, during his birthday discourse, Sri Sathya Sai Baba while talking about the inability of healthcare access to the poor declared that within one year a tertiary care hospital will come up in the village of Puttaparthi, which will provide high-end care free to all the patients.

"There are few who are ready to set up such institutions to provide free facilities for the poor. Therefore, from the start we decided to set up a hundred-crore hospital near Prasanthi Nilayam itself. Even as higher education is free here, "Higher Medicine" also will be free. People spend some lakhs to get heart surgery done in the U.S. What is the plight of the poor? Who looks after them? If they go to the cities, they will not get even coloured water. Recognising this fact, we have launched this big hospital project. Whether it is heart bypass operation, or a kidney transplant, or a lung operation or brain surgery, everything will be done free. This has been decided upon from the very starting of the project." Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Sai Baba added that the hospital would be inaugurated on 22 November 1991.[6] The first cardiothoracic operations were carried out successfully exactly one year later. The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences was inaugurated by Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the then prime minister of India, Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao, on 22 November 1991.[7]

"The second phase was inaugurated a year later by the then President of India. Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, when the uro-nephrology department started functioning."[7][8] The super specialty hospital continued to expand: opening the kidney transplant programme in 1993, Department of Ophtalmology in 1994, and in 1995, the CT Scanner and Vitreo Retinal Services were inaugurated.[7] In 1999 the Lithotripsy Centre was opened.[7][9][10] Kidney transplantation is no longer offered in the hospital.[11]

Specialties

Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital, Puttaparthi

The hospital offers the following facilities:[12]

Academics

The hospital is accredited by the National Board of Examination, India to provide Diplomate of National Board (DNB) training to doctors in the specialties of Cardiology, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Urology, Ophthalmology, Anaesthesiology and Orthopaedics. The hospital has earned two gold medals in the DNB courses of Urology and Ophthalmology. Dr. N.N. Sridharan received the Gold Medal for DNB Urology in 2004[13] awarded by the National Board of Examinations.[14] Dr. Amit Chabbra received the DNB Gold Medal for Ophthalmology in 2010.[15]

Departments of the hospital organize yearly conferences that are attended by faculty members and delegates from across the country and world.

The hospital has periodic academic sessions in which doctors from the hospital and from outside share their knowledge on specific topics of academic interest with the doctors and students. SSSIHMS, Puttaparthi also receives visiting professors from India and abroad who provide their expertise to the students. The students are exposed to a spectrum of cases, as the hospital is charitable in nature.

The number of candidates admitted for training in this institute every year is two each for cardiology, urology, ophthalmology, anaesthesiology and orthopaedics. The DNB training for these departments is three years. Two candidates are admitted to the department of CTVS. The period of training in CTVS being six years post MBBS.

National Board of Examination (NBE) guidelines are adhered to with respect to stipend, library, internet facilities etc.

Going along the philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba of free education for all, the hospital does not collect Rs. 80,000/- a year from trainees as training charges/fee as prescribed by the NBE, since it is run by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which functions on the philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba that education and health should be provided completely free to all.[16]

Conferences and seminars

Departments of the hospital organize yearly conferences which are attended by faculty members and delegates from across the country and world. Most recently the department of Cardiology conducted the Advanced Echo Cardiology Conference on 11 and 12 October 2014 in collaboration with GE healthcare. This conference is part of a series on Echocardiography conferences, which takes place alternately between the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield. The faculty members at the conference included Dr. R. Alagesan, former president of the Indian Academy of Echocardiography, Dr. G. Vijayraghavan, vice–chairman and founder director, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. P. K. Das, HoD Cardiology of SSSIHMS, Whitefield.[17]

List of conferences and seminars held at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram

S.No Conference Year
1. Cardiac Specialty Symposium 6–7 February 1993
2. International Conference on Cardio Vascular Diseases January, 1994
3. International Conference on Cardio Vascular Diseases December, 1995
4. Cardio Thoracic – Continuing Medical Education Programme 20–21 September 2008
5. Sri Sathya Sai Continuing Orthopaedic Education 11–13 July 2008
6. Sri Sathya Sai International Conference on Advances in Arthroplasty 10–12 July 2009
7. International Conference on Cardiovascular Diseases- The Sri Sathya Sai Model 25–26 October 2010
8. Musculo-Skeletal Ultrasound Workshop 8 May 2010
9. Sri Sathya Sai International Conference on Pelvis and Lower Extremity Trauma 22–24 July 2011
10. Urology Clinical Workshop 23–24 February 2013
11. Glaucoma Continuing Medical Education Programme 16 March 2013
12. Update on MRI of Shoulder, Hip and Knee 26 October 2013
13. International Conference Cardio Vascular Diseases: Current trends in Cardiac Surgery 14–15 December 2013
14. Fundamentals of Echocardiography Workshop 8–9 February 2014
15. Advances in Arthoscopy and Sports Medicine 18–20 July 2014
16. Advanced Echocardiography 11–12 October 2014
17. Sai Vaidya Sangamam, First Annual Alumni Meet 24–25 December 2014
18. Sri Sathya Sai International Healthcare Information Technology Practitioners Conference 7–8 March 2015
19. PhacoRet 2015 Phacoemulsification and its Retinal complications 26–27 September 2015
20. Sri Sathya Sai Pediatric Orthopaedic Conference 2015 28 Feb- 1 March 2015
21. Midterm Cardiac CME "Surgical Spectrum for Mitral Valve Diseases" 21–22 August 2015
22. Sri Sathya Sai International Ilizarov Conference- 2015 18–20 December 2015

Impressions

Dr. Michael Nobel, great grand-nephew of Alfred Nobel, chairman, Appeal of Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation states, "The world's hospitals are filled with expensive and advanced medical technology. It is also easy to find free hospitals. But the combination of the two, of a super speciality, highly advanced, state-of-the-art hospital which is free for the poor—that is a unique, completely unique concept. And if we add to that Sai Baba's presence, and the spirituality which his presence lends to the hospital, it becomes a very unique creation. I know hospitals very well, but I have never seen anything like this on earth."[18]

Anna Tibaijuka, who was appointed by the World Health Organization as a member of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, visited the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi.[19] Dr. Mitch Krucoff, an eminent cardiologist from Duke University, North Carolina, United States, talks about his experience with SSSIHMS,Puttaparthi . "There is an atmosphere of joy amongst the staff of this Hospital, as they do their work. When we first went over to India, we thought were going to this poor third world nation and share with them our technologies, teaching them how to use it properly. Honestly stated, this was a very arrogant start. Later, it turned out that we learnt more than we taught."[18]

Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital, Puttaparthi, A.P., India

Building and architecture

"The hospital was set up on 110 acres (45 ha) of land near the Sri Sathya Sai Airport"[8] and "was designed by Professor Keith Critchlow from the Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture in London."

The architecture is a mix of ancient Hindu and Islamic styles. However, some components of Indo-Gothic style could be noticed. The hospital has a built-in area of 153,000 square feet.

"The hospital has a large central building with a magnificent dome which is connected to four buildings on either side each with a dome. Critchlow was given three months to complete the design and the hospital was built in nine months. This according to Prof. Critchlow is a feat only Sai Baba could perform. It is said that the construction of such a massive hospital with all its modern equipments would take more than 7 years even in US or UK. There are many interpretations of what the building represents. Some people believe that central building represents Swami (Sri Sathya Sai Baba)'s heart and the others with the connecting curved corridors represent Baba's two arms embracing humanity."[20] "The impressive building ... stands as a magnificent temple of healing, its inspiring architecture imparts an aura of divinity and peace to all who enter the hospital for investigation or treatment and to those who work there."[21] "Spread over an area of 15,000 sq. meters, the hospital hosts 300 beds."[9] "The hospital, with its beautiful architecture and serene rural setting, serves not only as a temple of healing for the body but also for the mind and the spirit."[8]

Sri Sathya Sai Baba says of the building process, "The firm of Larsen & Toubro are known for their big constructions in India and abroad. But nowhere else was such enthusiasm and zeal displayed by the workers engaged in the construction as in this Hospital. Even the smallest worker did the work of ten persons with zeal and joy. All workers performed their jobs with enthusiasm and devotion."[22]

There has been recent improvements since 2002 of rail transportation to Puttaparthi, one of the reasons being the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi.[23]

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield

"The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bangalore, was inaugurated on 19 January 2001. After its success, the Karnataka government offered Sri Sathya Sai Baba 53 acres of land to establish another super-speciality hospital."[8] "The cost estimate was Rs 2000 million."[24]

Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital, Whitefield (suburb of Bangalore), Karnataka, India

The Whitefield Super Speciality hospital offers free care for Cardiology, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery.[25] The hospital also has in-patient services such as Radiology, Laboratory (Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry labs, and an in-house Blood Bank), Physiotherapy, Dietary and Counseling.[26]

Alangar S Hegde, neurosurgeon in private practice and part-time director of the 330-bed hospital, said in a Zee news interview, "Treatments, tests, medicines, food and hospital stay are all free ... and if some tests cannot be done here, we get them done outside at our cost. On an average day, surgeons here perform seven neuro and seven heart surgeries. Together with laboratory tests, X-ray scans and outpatient procedures these are worth over Rs 5 million (USD 100,000) in commercial terms but done free." "Built with trust funds, the Rs 200 million that the hospital spends annually on salaries, medicine, equipment and maintenance come entirely from unsolicited donations from [Sri Sathya Sai Baba] devotees." "The state government gave us land and the power supply for hospital is free," Hegde said. "Companies give us medical equipments at discount and one computer firm installed Rs 10 million (USD 20,000)-worth hospital software at no cost."[27]

"The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, (Whitefield) Bangalore, is the second in the world and the first in India to have acquired the Stealth Neuro Navigation System (for image guided surgeries), the latest technology in precision neuro surgery. We have acquired this surgical navigation technology in keeping with the philosophy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba that the best medicare should be made available to all irrespective of caste, creed or religion and at free of cost," said Dr. A. N. Safaya, the ex-director of the hospital.[28] During a visit to the hospital in 2002, former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam said, "I can see God's mission being carried out here. The doctors and staff looked to me as angels."[27]

Ambience

The Whitefield Super Speciality "hospital is actually known as a 'temple of healing' as it provides medicare in a spiritual ambience devoid of commercialism, its employees say."[27] "It is not just the state-of-the-art technology or high quality service but the spiritual ambience pervading through the campus," says hospital manager.[27] Satyaranjandas Hegde says, "Those who man the gates, serve at the reception and counsel patients are all volunteers inspired by Sri Sathya Sai Baba's philosophy that "seva," or selfless service, is service to god. People wanting to offer 'seva' are so many that there is a waiting list for volunteers. We keep rotating them to give everyone a chance."[27] "It actually makes me feel I am entering a temple and not a hospital," said Akella Chendrasekhar, medical director of Wyckoff Medical Centre in New York.[27]

Dr Michael Nobel has said, "I have never seen anything like this on earth. It is a wonderful feeling, far removed from the national healthcare in the West, which does not seem to work very well. The impressive thing about the hospital created by Bhagwan Sai Baba is the combination of the three aspects: state-of-the-art technology, free medical treatment and the healing powers of his presence instilling in the patient the firm belief that he or she will get well."[29] The hospital is managed by MBA graduates from Swami's management institute at Puttaparthy, who oversee all day-to-day activities of the hospital like admission wait list, priorities, medical and surgical costs, and report to higher authorities.[29]

SSSIHMS Alumni Association

1st Annual Alumni Meet, "Sai Vaidya Sangamam", was organized at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, on 20 and 21 December 2014. The conference saw the participation of over 300 alumni of SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram and Whitefield cutting across the specialities from all over the country and abroad. The highlight of the meet was the formation of the SSSIHMS Alumni Association.

SSSIHMS Alumni Association Office Bearers

Post Name Current Institution
President Dr. Keshava Murthy Institute of Nephro Urology, Bangalore
Vice President Dr. Kavitha Rao Retina Institute of Karnataka
Vice President Dr. K. Vishwanathan MIOT Hospitals, Chennai
Treasurer Dr. Vijay Sai Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore
General Secretary Dr. Isha Samadhiya SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram
President Elect Dr. Dwarakanath Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore

Current statistics

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, Puttaparthi: Cumulative: 22 November 1991 – 31 October 2014

Speciality OPD Surgeries/Procedures
Cardiology 1,062,048 39,857
CTVS - 24,473
Ophthalmology 654,503 58,932
Plastic Surgery 18,996 8,338
Urology 936,857 62,596
Orthopaedics 237,809 12,415
GI Endoscopy - 9,360
Total 2,910,213 215,971

Other information

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi: +918555-287388 Website: http://psg.sssihms.org.in YouTube Channel: youtube.com/user/sssihmspsg Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sri-sathya-sai-insitute-of-higher-medical-sciences?trk=nmp_rec_act_company_photo

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore: +9180-28411500 http://wfd.sssihms.org.in

Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital, Puttaparthi, A.P., India

References

  1. ↑ "Sai Medical Institutions". Sathyasai.org. 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust". Sssmt.org.in. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  3. ↑ "Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust". Sssmt.org.in. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  4. ↑ "Cover Story: A Medical Innovation with a Marvellous Mission - The Sri Sathya Sai Healthcare Project, Part 1 - January 2009". Media.radiosai.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  5. ↑ "CNBC -TV18 recognizes India's best hospitals at the 'India Healthcare Awards' | Best Media Info, News and Analysis on Indian Advertising, Marketing and Media Industry". Bestmediainfo.com. 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  6. ↑ "34. Restore the glory of Bharat" (PDF). Sssbpt.info. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Sanathana Sarathi, November 1999, v. 42, 11, p. 333
  8. 1 2 3 4
  9. 1 2
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "SSSIHMS-PG, Urology". Psg.sssihms.org.in. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "SSSIHMS, Prasathigram, Specialities". Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ "DNB Gold medal". Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "International Council of Ophthalmology : Connections : User Profile". Icoph.org. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  16. ↑ "SSSIHMS-PG, Academics". Psg.sssihms.org.in. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  17. ↑ "Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  18. 1 2
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ John Lerwill. "The Way - According to Sai". Lerwill-life.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  21. ↑ "Free high-tech health care in India, by A.N. Safaya". Sathyasai.org. 1991-11-22. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  22. ↑ "28. How to win the Lord's grace" (PDF). Sssbpt.info. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  23. ↑ "More trains now head for Puttaparthi". The Times of Indiaaccessdate=17 July 2016.
  24. ↑ "Super Speciality Hopital in Whitefield". Puttaparthi-info.com. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  25. ↑
  26. ↑
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Free world class healthcare in Bangalore hospital". Zee News. 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  28. ↑ "Precision Neuro Surgery of Brain Tumour at The Super Speciality Hospital at Bangalore - The Hinduism Forum". IndiaDivine.org. 2005-06-17. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  29. 1 2 "Providing hope and healing to heart patients - Rediff.com News". News.rediff.com. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
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