COMPASSION IN ACTION
March 25, 2023 – PM Modi Inaugurates India’s First Totally-Free Medical College in Karnataka
PM Modi Inaugurates India’s First Totally-Free Medical College - Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Karnataka
March 25 2023, Chikkaballapur Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated India’s first totally-free medical college established by humanitarian and spiritual leader Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, built at a capital cost of Rs 400 crore at Muddenahalli, the birthplace of Bharath Ratna Sri M Visvesvaraya. This unique model of medical education – giving medical education for free - will be an added impetus to the various government interventions to address the need for quality healthcare delivery in rural India. Sri Basavaraj Bommai - CM of Karnataka and Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Health and Medical Education – Govt. of Karnataka were also present at the event at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli. This free medical college holds great promise in transforming the landscape of medical education in the country, providing new opportunities for underprivileged students in rural areas who have long dreamt of such an opportunity.
The Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research which comprises of one teaching hospital and an academic block apart from hostels, auditorium, staff residences and sports facilities with a total area of about 3,25,000 sq.ft., is a unique and first-of-its-kind project, which will set a new standard for accessibility to quality medical education, check exclusion, for first-generation learners and disadvantaged students from rural India. After qualifying in the NEET entrance examination, students will be embraced into the college with just one pair of clothes, and everything else will be taken care by the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust which has established this medical college. The Trust acquired the necessary land and built the infrastructure for the medical college to commence in the academic year June 2023-24. The entire capital expenditure for the Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research has been through the support of like-minded individuals from around the world, and since there is no pressure of profiteering, it becomes a low-cost model.
Honourable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi said, Sathya Sai Grama has given a wonderful model of service to this land of Bharath. The selfless services activities of Nutrition, Education and Healthcare that are being done from this place are truly appreciable. The inauguration of the free medical college gives additional strength and enthusiasm to their already existing service projects. Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research will produce Doctors and Allied Healthcare Providers who will submit themselves for the service of the Nation. 'Amrut Kaal' can be achieved only through one way – consistent efforts by each one of you, and this is what is happening from this place.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said: The dream of an 'amrut kaal' is finding its light of the day under the leadership of Sri Narendra Modi Ji. He is always available to support the cause of the good and the noble, and encourages good deeds where ever it happens. We are honoured to have Modi Ji inaugurate this medical college. Seven years ago, a girl doing her Grade 12 at our educational institutions expressed her wish to become a doctor to serve the rural people. Her father who is working as a cook did not have in his capacity to finance her medical education. We gave this girl an opportunity to pursue medical education, especially touched by her pure intention to serve the needy. Today, she has become a Doctor and works in our institution. Thus, we decided to extend this opportunity for all children who have the aptitude but not the affordability to pursue medical education, and especially to those who wants to study to serve others.
Sarkar (Government), Samaj (Society), and Sansthan (Institution) – If these factors come together, then anything can be achieved. This is the right time to exert efforts to uplift India and restore its glory back, and this is possible only under the leadership of Sri Narendra Modi Ji, and none else.
Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraj Bommai said, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai’s determination to establish an institution that will offer free medical education is commendable. I congratulate Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai for bringing into reality a hospital that is world-class in its service quality, and offering it all completely free of cost. This is unbelievable.
Our Honourable Prime Minister has a great vision for this country and his loving concern for the poorest of the poor is palpable. For the first time, a country with a 130 crore population has dared to initiate a programme that ensures accessibility of healthcare for all through Ayushman Bharat. Modi Ji is a man who dares to dream the most difficult things and achieves the most difficult things.
This event is a culmination of two great personalities – a man who has created a new healthcare model that provides access to the poorest of the poor in the country, and an institution that is giving free medical services for the poorest of the poor. This is a day that gives a new ray of hope and confidence for all the people of this country, and this is what it is about building an Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
The teaching hospital currently comprises 360 beds spread across two buildings. In the next phase, another hospital block with an extension of academic, and more hostel facilities will be constructed.
November 24, 2022 - First and ONLY free Heart Care Centre for Adults and Children in Chikkaballapur
Individuals below 40 years of age are increasingly prone to cardiovascular diseases
24 November 2022, Sathya Sai Grama, Karnataka To serve over 12 lakh residents of the district of Chikkaballapur and the surrounding areas, the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Heart Care has commenced its fifth centre. To resolve the issue of accessibility and affordability of cardiac treatment, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of the global chain of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Cardiac Care has initiated this much-needed facility in a record time of 10 days in association with the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru. This Centre has been set up at Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital at Muddenahalli, the multi-speciality hospital has over 1,000 walk-in patients every single day. The new heart care centre will serve patients absolutely free of cost and will cater to both adult and paediatric cardiac cases.
Cardiovascular diseases are the reason for 60% of adult death, and the nearest facility is about 70 kilometres away for residents of Chikkaballapur. In Karnataka, 36% of young adults in the age group of 40 to 60 years, die from cardiovascular diseases. The new Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Care Centre which was inaugurated by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and Dr C N Manjunath - Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research has an advanced Cath Lab with CCU and PCCU facilities.
The global chain of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Care Centres, which has been operating for the last 10 years at three locations in India, has been doing phenomenal work to save more than 23,000 children through invasive and non-invasive procedures and mending hearts of more than 200,000 children through consultations. In this year 2022, new Hospitals have commenced in Fiji, Sri Lanka and Telangana (India).
India has approximately 55 million CVD patients, and at least more than half live in rural areas/towns and getting quality heart care is still a challenge for many. There are only 275 districts with Cath Lab out of 718 Districts in India.
The new Centre shall be supported by Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICR), Bengaluru, with whom an MoU was exchanged by the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals and the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, thus making a collaboration for both research and clinical aspects of cardiovascular diseases.
The visionary and inspiration behind this noble initiative, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said, This is a fully functional, state-of-the-art lab which is made in India for curing many hearts by doctors who are also made in India. This centre will soon grow into a dedicated full-fledged paediatric cardiac hospital in Muddenahalli.
Padma Shri awardee Dr C N Manjunath said, Fifty percent of deaths in India are due to heart attacks and thirty percent of total heart attacks are below the age of 45. Earlier children were taking their parents to hospitals for cardiac treatment and today parents are taking their children, from the age group 20-45 years, for getting them treated. About eight percent of total patients with heart attacks are women under 50 years of age in India. Bride grooms are shifted directly from the marriage hall to the ICU due to cardiac arrest. This change is mainly due to the drastic change in lifestyle and increase in the levels of stress. The inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Care Centre in Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, which is one of its kind, is a true miracle, and we commit to supporting this institution and making it the world’s best centre for cardiac care. We consider it as our greatest fortune to be associated with this institution whose hearts are filled with compassion, spirituality, and humanity.
November 23, 2022 - Sixth Edition of Sri Sathya Sai Award for Human Excellence confers awards to women who have excelled in various fields of social relevance
Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence with the patronage of the Aditya Birla Group celebrates women from underprivileged backgrounds
23 November 2022, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli: Seven women were awarded the Sri Sathya Sai Award for Human Excellence in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai who instituted these awards seven years ago to celebrate individuals who follow their innate calling to serve humanity selflessly in seven categories of social relevance such as Education, Health, Environment, Woman and Child Welfare, Unity of Religions, Music and Fine Arts, and Yoga and Sports.
This year the the Award theme was Celebrating Shakti – Women of Excellence, and thus the event was made special by the presence of exemplary women such as, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan – Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and Dr Neerja Birla – Philanthropist and Chairperson of Mpower, who conferred the awards to the following exemplary women coming from different parts of India.
Dr Tulasi Munda from Odisha for her contribution to educating adivasi children, Kaushilya Bai from rural Chhattisgarh for making a difference to the lives of thousands of children by addressing the problem of malnutrition, R Rangammal from a remote village in Tamil Nadu for her exemplary initiatives to promote organic and environment-friendly farming practices, Advocate Gauri Kumari for her incessant fight against Dalit atrocities and social activism to educate and empower women, Dr Biru Bala Rabha for raising her voice against witch hunting and in a way preserving the sanctity of sacred religious customs and rituals without diluting it with misinterpretations or misuse, Folk Artist Dr Tijan Bai for her immense contribution to the folk art of Pandavani, and Dr Malathi K Holla for her invaluable achievements in the field of Parasports and her work in helping several disabled children.
The annual Awards are organised by the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, founded by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. This University offers higher education completely free of cost to needy rural children, based on the principles of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said – I thank Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai for motivating and supporting women. The free medical college that Sadguru is talking about is the dream of the entire nation. Their nutritional programme for downtrodden children (Annapoorna Breakfast Initiative), 27 educational campuses is doing great work for the nation.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said – These 7 women are the wonder women of India who have done wonders for the country. It is our singular privilege as a University to recognise and all the sacrifices and efforts that they have made. We are honoured to have Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan for the event today. We are honoured by the presence of Mrs Neerja Birla for representing Aditya Birla Group, for patronising this Award.
November 22, 2022 - Second Edition of Bharath Sangeeta Sammelan held at Karnataka
Sri Sathya Sai Sangeeta Shiromani titles awarded to Padma Shri awardee Mrs Aruna Sairam and Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar
Tuesday, 22 November 2022, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli: ‘Music as a unifying force’ was the theme which attracted musicians in the likes of Mrs Aruna Sairam – the renowned Carnatic vocalist, Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar – the celebrated Sarod Maestro and Dr Tijan Bai – the unique Pandavani folk artist, to Sathya Sai Grama in the village of Muddenahalli, which is about 30 minutes from the Bengaluru International Airport. This conference – Bharath Sangeeta Sammelan is being organised for the second time as part of the 97th birthday celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a humanitarian, philanthropist and a spiritual leader who has inspired various compassionate service activities globally in the fields of nutrition, education, and healthcare through his disciple, Sri Madhusudan Sai. The Sammelan was organised by the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence.
Sri Sathya Sai Sangeeta Shiromani – a prestigious title for the many years of dedicated service to the field of music was conferred on Mrs Aruna Sairam, the famous Carnatic vocalist, and Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, one of the greatest sarod maestros.
The Conference Chair, Dr Mysore Manjunath, the famous Violinist and a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee said, Music is not for entertainment, but is a tool for experiencing higher levels of consciousness. The essence of music consists in elevating the entire mankind into the feeling of oneness and unifying all.
Padma Shri Awardee Mrs Aruna Sairam who is also the Vice Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (India's premier national institution for music and dance) set up by the Government of India. She spoke her heart out for the theme ‘Art is for Heart’, when she said, Music is all about opening yourself to unlimitedness from self-centredness or ego-centredness. Music is sulabha sadhana because it speedens your journey to the ultimate destination. Music is not an intellectual activity, but rather a very natural activity that springs forth from your heart. Be open and free while singing. Accept yourself, and be happy while singing.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said, Bharath Sangeeta Sammelan is organised by the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence to help the next generation learn and appreciate all forms and genres of music. Bharata itself means bhava, raga, tala, out of which bhava is the most important—this reaches and touches the Divinity in all.
November 21, 2022 - Ten Years of Mending Little Hearts for Free
World’s Largest Chain of Paediatric Cardiac Hospitals Without Billing Counters Completes a Decade of Compassionate Healthcare Services
21 November 2022 – Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh: More than 23,000 children with congenital heart disease have been treated completely free of cost and over 200,000+ consultations have been conducted over the last 10 years, at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Child Heart Care at Nava Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Palwal (Haryana) and Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra). The fourth paediatric cardiac hospital in India was inaugurated on November 17, 2022, at Siddipet (Telangana).
Sanjeevani celebrated the milestone of completing 10 years of healing little hearts, to reduce the burden of congenital heart defects absolutely free of cost, at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centre for Child Heart at Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 20 November 2022 in the presence of the Founder of the global chain of hospitals – Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Chairman Dr C Srinivas, High Commissioners of Fiji and Rwanda to India, the Minister from the High Commission of Nigeria, the chief of UNICEF for the State of Chhattisgarh and the celebrated former international Indian Cricketer, Sri Sunil Gavaskar. The hospital in Nava Raipur was the very first hospital that was founded in the year 2012, through the instrumentation of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, a disciple of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He walked the footsteps of Baba to continue the legacy of providing free health services to all, especially the rural and the underprivileged.
Since 2012, paediatric cardiac services of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals have expanded to cover many more places and people, in India and across the seas to other countries also, including Fiji and Sri Lanka to provide tertiary medical care to children suffering with congenital heart diseases. Two primary and secondary care medical centres are also functional at Clarksdale (Mississippi, USA) and Batticaloa (Sri Lanka).
At the event which saw a convergence of close to 8,000 people, Sri Sunil Gavaskar said, No words can describe the phenomenal efforts the hospitals showcased in this decade and my visits to the hospitals have made me witness the change it has created. When we save a child, we are saving the future.
Mr Job Zachariah, Chief of UNICEF Chhattisgarh addressed the gathering and expressed that UNICEF has entered into an MoU with the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals and wants to develop this as a national institute of excellence in paediatric heart care and treatment, so that more capacities can be built in research, training etc. UNICEF always believes that the biggest tragedy in life is not unemployment or poverty, but the death of a mother and child.
About 1,800 children who had undergone surgeries in the past had arrived with their parents and family members to express their love for the institution which has given them a new lease of life. While a couple of parents expressed their heartfelt love and overwhelming gratitude, Brigadier Vignesh Mahanti, Sena Medal, in charge of Chhattisgarh and Odisha Sub Area (COSA), pledged the complete support of the Indian army to the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals.
To celebrate and commemorate the decade of serving society through compassionate healthcare, Sri Madhusudan Sai is determined to do more good, especially for the mothers and children of India. Recently while talking about his vision, he said, A string of mother and child hospitals, cross the length and breadth of the country is going to be the game changer in rural healthcare for high quality point of care, at rural doorsteps and at zero cost! In the last ten days, the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother and Child Hospitals were inaugurated at Raiwala (Uttarakhand), Palwal (Haryana), and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand). Hospitals in Nava Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Yavatmal (Maharashtra) were inaugurated few months ago. The vision is to eventually establish one such centre in every district of the country through a partnership model with the governments and corporations so that no woman or child needs to travel more than a day’s journey to reach the centre and get treated for free.
Another Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Child Heart Care Centre will be inaugurated on Baba’s 97th birth anniversary on 23 November 2022 at Muddenahalli, Karnataka. Every single day, Sri Madhusudan Sai spearheads the efforts to make healthcare accessible to every mother and child, especially in the rural sectors of the country, by unburdening off their shoulders the financial aspect that binds one’s right to good healthcare.
October 24, 2022 - Aravinda de Silva hosts Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai at a unique event in Colombo
24 October 2022 – Colombo, Sri Lanka
Former Cricket Legend, Deshabandu Aravinda de Silva and his wife, Mrs Anushka de Silva celebrated the evening of 24 October 2022 with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai – a visionary, humanitarian, social and spiritual leader from India, who is spearheading a unique global mission of providing education, healthcare, and nutrition completely free of cost to several thousands of children in India and in about 33 countries around the world, in the spirit of One World One Family.
An Evening Divine, the event celebrated the spirit of service that is glowing like flame through the service activities carried out by the Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation that was established by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai in Sri Lanka in February 2016. The Sri Sathya Sai Karunalayam Medical Centre which was established at Batticaloa has served about 16,000 rural patients with high- quality and reliable treatment, till date, absolutely free of cost.
Furthermore, a completely free of cost, state-of-the-art super-speciality hospital – Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital was inaugurated by Mr Aravinda de Silva in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai on 09 August 2022. The hospital in Batticaloa will compliment and to add on to the government’s wonderful universal healthcare coverage to all citizens, and also assist the great work already being carried out by Lady Ridgeway Hospital.
Six children who were saved from congenital heart anomalies at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital were given away the Gift of Life certificate by Mr Aravinda de Silva and Mrs Anushka de Silva. Some of the children were referred by Lady Ridgeway Hospital for surgery. The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital joining hands with the Lady Ridgeway Hospital shall definitely shorten waiting lists and save the lives of more children who need immediate cardiac care.
Mr Sunil Gavaskar, Former International Indian Cricketer had virtually joined the event from Australia to share his long-standing comradeship with the Sanjeevani Hospitals and with Mr Aravinda de Silva. Mr Gavaskar is a passionate patron of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals in India and has been passionately spreading awareness for congenital heart defects.
A chat show between Mr Aravinda de Silva and Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai was the highlight of the evening, where the legendary cricketer posed many questions on the free initiatives in the fields of nutrition, education and healthcare.
October 1-2, 2022 – India Start-up Festival (ISF), Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli
The first edition of the India Start-up Festival (ISF) was hosted at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, Karnataka. The festival witnessed the conglomeration of the largest network of masterminds from the ‘start-up ecosystem’ of India to redefine the future of the start-up revolution in India. About 75+ investors, industry experts, venture capitalists, mentors, speakers, new-age start-ups, entrepreneurs, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies from across India participated in the Festival.
Objectives:
To explore, collaborate, relook at opportunities and thereby redefine the start-up revolution by supporting entrepreneurs
To build a solid start-up ecosystem and help young entrepreneurs realise their full potential
At the inauguration of the festival, Mr J A Chowdary – Key Architect, Indian Tech Industry and General Chair, ISF 22, welcomed the delegates. He presented the idea of creating an ecosystem of togetherness and support in order to manifest an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ for which Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi has started an Abhiyan.
One Rupee App, a brainchild of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai was also launched on iOS and android platforms making it available to every citizen of India. A rupee a day, shared for the betterment of the society, is the new digital way of living a life of compassion and charity. What is better, with the One Rupee App, every rupee can be customised to serve the needy through free education, nutrition, healthcare and much more.
During the event, Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence was conferred with the Life Time Achievement Award by the India Startup Festival by recognising his commitment and dedication in imparting free values-based education to the rural poor of India.
Key Highlights
The festival was also virtually witnessed by more than 1.5 lakh delegates from across the globe
1500+ Start-ups under multiple heads participated in the Start-up pitch contest, where the top 100 were selected and invited to be at the festival to pitch their vision. From this group, the top ten made it to the recognised list who will be supported and mentored by the core group of ISF
Themed exhibitions, round tables and panel discussions on critical areas like women empowerment, fintech, education, rural health and nutrition, and knowledge sessions were held,
Pitches to investors and opportunity to share, exchange and network with the best minds in the start-up space of India was facilitated
A Fireside Chat with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai where Sadguru through his immense spiritual as well as entrepreneurial knowledge answered a series of questions succinctly and convincingly
Launch of ‘Gossip Corner’ – a women’s entrepreneurship programme
August 9, 2022 - Sri Lanka gets a fully free of cost super speciality hospital
Indian Team from the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals establish yet another free hospital
"Sai Sanjeevani India has exhibited the true meaning of brotherhood during these challenging times by establishing the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital.” – said the Honourable President of Sri Lanka, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe
09 August 2022 – Batticaloa, Sri Lanka - In order to support the Indian Government’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid to bankruptcy-hit Sri Lanka, well-known social and spiritual leader, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai inaugurated the first phase of a 75-bedded free super speciality hospital, Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital in Batticaloa, a region in the east of the island of Sri Lanka, that has faced years of civil war and has sheltered over 30,000 war widows
The island nation of Sri Lanka is grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis, unemployment and inflation, which has dealt a heavy blow to its robust health system and has led to a terrible short supply of essential life-saving drugs, common antibiotics, and paediatric care, among others. At this hour of need, the Sai Global Federation of Foundations, led by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, has extended support through its member-foundation in Sri Lanka – Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation, which was established in the year 2016. The Foundation has served more than 16,000 rural patients till date through its Sri Sathya Sai Karunalayam Medical Centre which was inaugurated in the year 2017.
The inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital was presided over by the Guest of Honour – Mr Aravinda de Silva, Former Sri Lankan International Cricketer and Captain, and was attended by officials from the Government and the Diplomatic Community of Sri Lanka, members of medical fraternity and armed forces from Sri Lanka, in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai.
Recognising the selfless services of Sri Sathya Sai Karunanilayam Foundation, the President of Sri Lanka, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe sent his message: It gives me immense pleasure to be addressing all of you on this momentous occasion of the inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital at Kirankulam in Batticaloa under the Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation. The services rendered by this foundation, completely free of cost, stands out even more so in the background of the economic turbulence, we are facing at present in our country. I understand that the foundation, since its inception in 2017, has treated over 16,000 outpatients. The services rendered are inspiring and their vision for the future healthcare mission with this specialised hospital is truly something very special. I’m grateful to the Founder of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Chain of Hospitals, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai under whose leadership and vision, the Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation has set up this hospital. Also, on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka, my heartfelt gratitude to the international team of expertise from Sai Sanjeevani India who have exhibited the true meaning of brotherhood during these challenging times. I wish to thank all the guests who have come here from across the globe and shown their solidarity and support and also to those who were not able to be physically present but have continuously supported this noble initiative from all around the world. Finally, on behalf of the Government of Srilanka and its people, I once again extend my heartfelt gratitude to the whole team and wish them and the Karuna Nilayam Foundation and the Sai Sanjeevani Super-Speciality Hospitals, all the very best for their future endeavours."
At the event, Mr Aravinda de Silva, Former Sri Lankan International Cricketer and Captain said: About two weeks ago, I got a message from a very famous man from India, who has been very dear to me and has been one of my childhood idols…that was none other than, Mr Sunil Gavaskar. His message was a request to represent him at the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital at Batticaloa in Sri Lanka. Before coming here, I didn’t anticipate this kind of magnitude, effort and love that has gone into this project, and witnessing this in person is a remarkable experience; for something like this to happen within 5 years is indeed remarkable. Congratulations for achieving this in the last 5 years. Today, after having completed my childhood phase of enjoying playing cricket, as a cricketer who contributed towards the game of cricket by representing Sri Lanka, as a business man who has established his own business for the last 14 years; it is time to serve my country, and at this juncture, I find my thinking matching with the motto of this organization – Love All Serve All. We have enjoyed everything from this lovely nation and now it is time to give the country back, what it deserves. Thanks to everyone who has put in so much effort and time to make this hospital happen. My support and help will be there anytime."
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai remarked: vasudhaiva kutumbakam – the whole world is one family. There are people from US, UK, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Middle East, Fiji, a few European nations and India who have come today—we all have come together today in the spirit of one global family. The message of fraternity, love and brotherhood is universal. When one member in a family needs help, the whole family comes together to help. This is what we are doing now. Time is of essence in cardiac care, the sooner we treat the child, the sonner we save his/ her life. This is the first time in the history of Sri Lankan healthcare, where a speciality hospital is set up completely free of cost. When we want to do good, the whole universe conspires to do good. Every child in Sri Lanka is as important as a child in our own country. Sri Lanka and India shares a lot in common — be it our spirituality, history – both culture and colonial, passion for cricket…congenital heart disease is our common burden and hence a solution for this is our common cause. I hope there is a day in Sri Lanka when every child has access to good education, nutrition and healthcare."
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital in Batticaloa will begin its operations by conducting free paediatric cardiac care surgeries and interventions in the next few days. The hospital is all set to grow in phases to conduct various healthcare missions across specialities, with the support of its international partners across 33 countries. Even during the COVID times, the medical centre responded to the nutritional needs of the needy by serving hot and nutritious cooked food in the surrounding villages. The Sri Lankan Healthcare Fraternity recognised the hospital as capable of bridging the gap in paediatric cardiac care in Sri Lanka, where 3,000 children are born with a congenital heart disease every year.
This Hospital in Sri Lanka is second in the row, within just about three months’ time, when the first hospital on the international grounds, Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital was inaugurated at Suva, Fiji by the Honourable Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama on 27 April 2022.Many little hearts of Sri Lanka are all set to be embraced with love and compassion with a vision to serve the cause of 'Right to Healthy Childhood' through creation of a holistic ecosystem resulting in reducing the global congenital heart disease burden, through the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Global Heart Care Centres.
August 7, 2022 - A Conference on Accessible and Affordable Rural Healthcare Models, Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, Muddenahalli
To address the crying need for better healthcare access for the rural poor, a new model of working where the Government, Society and Charitable Institutions come together in a collaborative approach is being proposed. Prashanti Balamandira Trust in collaboration with Sri Sathya Sai Sujala Sravanthi Trust propose a conference to discuss and ideate on how we can make healthcare system affordable and accessible to rural India.
The Chief Guest - Dr Arokiaswamy Velumani Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. lighting the lamp along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and Dr C Sreenivas
The invitees for this Conference are eminent people from the Pharma Industry, Medical Equipment Manufacturers, Medical Insurance, Surgical Equipment Manufacturers and Hospital & Diagnostic Centers. About 65 Dignitaries attended this conference.
Key Topics for Discussion
Health Ecosystem in Rural India and Impact on Macroeconomics and Role of Pharma Industry - Panel Discussion
Technology enabled Rural Outreach Programmes to Improve Access to Good Health - Panel Discussion
Preventive Healthcare Strategies to reduce the Cost Burden on Healthcare System - Panel Discussion
Integrated Healthcare Delivery for Improved Health outcomes in Rural India - Panel Discussion
Role of Digital Diagnostics, Telemedicine and Mobile Clinics in making Rural Healthcare accessible - Panel Discussion
Medical Education and Creating Rural Healthcare Professionals - Panel Discussion
Q&A Session with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai
July 13, 2022 – First Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi, Karnataka
Dr Mohan Ji Bhagwat, Sarsangchalak of Rashtriya Swayam Sangh Delivered the Convocation Address for the First Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi, Karnataka
Dr Mohan Ji Bhagwat presided over the first convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of the University and a galaxy of dignitaries. Bhagwat Ji’s presence at this event carried a special significance for the fact that this University is one-of-its-kind to provide higher education completely free of any cost to needy rural youths, on the foundation of the ancient Indian gurukula system of learning and living in a residential set-up.
A note-worthy point is that 50% of the graduands who convoked this year from the University were first generation literates, most of whom were also the first higher educated literates in their whole village. These students have been trained for fulfilling the very purpose of education, which is to serve the needy in society and hence they shall join their almamater – Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam Group of Institutions which is running 27 school campuses across 22 districts in Karnataka, 1 in Telangana and 1 in Tamil Nadu, completely free of cost to the rural children.
The first convocation of the University celebrated achievement and altruism by honouring six eminent personalities from various fields of excellence with honorary doctorates. Dr R Chidambaram – India’s most distinguished experimental physicist, Dr K Kasturirangan – Former Head of Indian Space Research Organisation, Mr Sunil Gavaskar – Cricket Legend, Pandit M Venkatesh Kumar – renowned hindustani classical vocalist, Ms Purnima Devi Barman – wildlife conservationist from Assam, and Mr C Sreenivas – Chairman of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Child Heart Care Centres, were bestowed their honorary doctorates by Dr Mohan Ji Bhagwat.
Bhagwat Ji also visited a multi-speciality hospital that provides completely free of cost healthcare – Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, which is soon to become a teaching and training hospital for the world’s first free medical college in the same premises.
Dr Mohan Bhagwat spoke thus in his convocation address – “The act of offering education completely free of cost to needy children has truly impacted the lives of these children beyond their imagination. The motive behind using individual excellence to bring about collective excellence is the goodness behind this University. Transformation is the need of the hour—the kind of transformation that shall change the face of Bharath is what I am witnessing here.”
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai remarked – “Our work is our identity; our work is our worship. This first convocation of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence has produced graduands who will dedicate their knowledge and skills for the service of the society. Being a right example to the society is the highest form of service one can ever render, and these graduands will be exemplars of this kind of service”.
April 27, 2022 – Inauguration of South Pacific’s first super-speciality paediatric cardiac hospital at Suva, Fiji
SOUTH PACIFIC’S FIRST SUPER-SPECIALITY PAEDIATRIC CARDIAC HOSPITAL - SRI SATHYA SAI SANJEEVANI CHILDREN’S HEART HOSPITAL WAS INAUGURATED AT SUVA, FIJI BY THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER OF FIJI, MR JOSAIA VOREQE BAINIMARAMA, IN THE PRESENCE OF SADGURU SRI MADHUSUDAN SAI
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital – Transcending All Barriers of Affordability, Accessibility and Availability – A World Class Completely Free of Cost Compassionate Heart Care Facility for the Children of Fiji
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Chain of Child Heart Care Hospitals has chosen to expand its foot print to the most-needy populations of the planet, and thus has worked hard to inaugurate the first-of-its- kind children’s heart hospital in Fiji. Under the leadership of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, the Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals have gained experience for a decade in the field of providing expert completely free of cost child heart care to thousands of children in India. With the confidence on its capability, and with the value of compassion at its very core, the healthcare mission in Fiji started with the establishment of a Non-Governmental Charitable Organisation – Sai Prema Foundation in August 2016. A three-phased plan, commencing with the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Medical Care Centre in April 2018, followed by Sri Sathya Sai Children’s Heart Screening Centre in April 2019, and now the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital, this mission has grown steadily with the determination to do more-good.
The Hospital is a state-of-the-art 54-bedded facility spread across 21,000 sq.ft. At the centre of the Hospital is a giant red heart which perfectly describes all that the Hospital stands for—it is all about the heart, both physically and metaphorically. This is the largest project ever undertaken by a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Fiji's history. The Hospital will fill the void of absolutely no access to paediatric cardiac service in the Pacific belt, and will save the families needing to take their children overseas for paediatric heart care, which costs in excess of FJD$100,000.
The dignitaries present at the event were – Mr Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama – Honourable Prime Minister of Fiji; Mrs Maria Voreqe Bainimarama – the PM’s wife; Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai – Social and Spiritual Leader; Mr Robert Bozzani – Philanthropist from South California who has supported many noble initiatives of Baba for several decades; Dr Shaun P Setty – Paediatric and Adult Cardiac Surgeon, who is also the Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation Endowed Chair in Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Southern California; Mr Mahendra Tappoo – Chairman and Founding Trustee of Sai Prema Foundation; Mr Sumeet Tappoo – Director of Sai Prema Foundation and Mr C Sreenivas – Chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust. Dr Arvind Thiagarajan – CEO of HD Medical and Inventor of HD Steth; Mr Tony Greubel – US Chargé d’Affaires for the US Embassy of Fiji, and many other dignitaries from over 12 countries attended the event.
Mr Ajay Jain Bhutoria – Commissioner to US President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission for the Federal Government of the United States of America came to the event to bestow Sai Prema Foundation with an award from the California State Legislative Assembly, for its remarkable service in saving the lives of the children of Fiji. During the occasion, South Pacific Community and Sai Prema Foundation shared a joint collaboration for combined efforts on capacity building and research.
The Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi joined the inauguration of the Hospital virtually and spoke thus: “I feel extremely happy to join you all on this august occasion of the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital in Suva, Fiji. My heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency the Prime Minister of Fiji, and the people of Fiji on this momentous occasion. This is yet another symbol of our long-standing mutual love. This is yet another chapter in the shared journey of India and Fiji. I have been informed that this Children's Heart Hospital is the first-of-its-kind, not only in Fiji, but in the entire South Pacific region. In this region where congenital heart diseases are rampant and poses a huge challenge, this Hospital will become a medium through which thousands of children will be bestowed with a new life. I am extremely happy that this Hospital would not only provide world-class treatment but will also perform all surgeries completely free of all costs to each and every child. I hail and admire the Government of Fiji, the Sai Prema Foundation Fiji and the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Chain of Child Heart Care Hospitals in India. Most importantly, on this auspicious and notable occasion, I offer my obeisance to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The seed of ‘Service to Humanity’ that was sown by Baba in the hearts of people has today grown into a huge banyan tree reaching out to all the people in the form of several service activities. I have stated earlier too, that Sri Sathya Sai Baba has done the incredible task of freeing spirituality from ritualistic observances and redirecting it to working for the welfare of all. Till today, Sri Sathya Sai Baba's humongous contribution in the sectors of Education, Nutrition, Healthcare, His many service activities to reach out to the needy and the underserved, continue to inspire us.
We say ‘parōpakārāya satāṃ vibhūtayaḥ’, which means ‘Charity is the property of noble men’. The only purpose of our life and all the resources we have at our disposal should be to serve mankind and work for the welfare of all living beings. The true heritage of India and Fiji was built on these values. In the past decades, India-Fiji relations have strengthened and grown in every field and with the co- operation of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Fiji, our relationship will be even stronger in the times to come. Incidentally, it is also the occasion of my dear friend, the Prime Minister of Fiji Mr Bainimarama's birthday. I wish him a very happy birthday. Once again, I convey my best wishes to all the members associated with the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital. I am confident that this Hospital will become a strong establishment of service in Fiji and the entire pacific region and will take India-Fiji relations to a new height.”
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai delivered His message by saying: sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ। sarve santu nirāmayāḥ। sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu। mā kaścidduḥkha bhāgbhavet | – may all be happy, may all be free from illness, may all see what is auspicious, may no one suffer. This is an old Indian prayer which prays for the whole world. It is our singular privilege to pray for the entire world on this very special day. It is special for two reasons – one is that it is the birthday of the Prime Minister of Fiji and we have been fortunate to celebrate it atleast three times before, but for the time of the COVID-19 when we couldn’t come. The second reason is that it is the birthday of this Hospital, and I know the birth pangs that Sai Prema Foundation had to undergo to give birth to this beautiful Hospital. But all that labour of love was worth it for the South Pacific. My blessings and best wishes to all of them—they have pulled off this great feat of love—a miracle has manifested in front of our eyes. I want to congratulate all of them for the hard work that they have put in, and to the devotees and followers of all the nations who have supported this noble cause to help the children of this nation and the nearby nations. The statistics say that in this world approximately 1.3 million children are born with CHD. 9 out of 10 are born in poor countries. It is only a pity that 90% of them sooner or later die. In Fiji, this burden is much smaller since the population is smaller, but if we put all the pacific islands together, it is still a health burden. Human birth is the beautiful moment that everybody wants to celebrate—when a child is born in a family, it is the most auspicious moment. But it turns into a sad moment when the parents realise that the child is born with a congenital heart disease, and though it is preventable or curable, they can’t do anything but see the child die, because of the financial barrier that does not allow them to treat the child. Whichever father or mother from whichever country—the pain to see their child die, is the same. Whichever child you are, your birth is equally precious to every other child. Therefore, it is our vision to see to that education, health and nutrition are fundamental rights given to all the children of the world. I definitely don’t hope that children be born without any diseases. It may not be possible as there are natural laws governing health and child birth. But definitely, we can create a world where every child has access to healthcare and no child is denied healthcare for want of money. This is the vision of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Child Heart Care Hospitals, which is setting up paediactric heart care hospitals around the world and the first international chapter opens today in Fiji, for which we are very honoured. In another two days, surgeries will begin here with a very qualified team in place, from Middle-East, Australia, New Zealand and US. Last but not the least—this is just the beginning of a long journey. We have miles to go! Sai Prema Foundation along with the Government of Fiji and the community has weaved a beautiful collaboration. Let us work, learn, and live together! The Honourable Prime Minister of Fiji addressed the gathering by saying: “In 2016, Sai Prema Foundation asked my Government for a piece of land by presenting facts about the noble intention of their project. My Government facilitated that requirement. Back then, there was a critical need in Fiji for a specialised children’s hospital and today we have this institution. This hospital is performing life- saving procedures—the likes of which were never possible in Fiji and the entire South Pacific. 200 children are born every year with congenital heart disease in Fiji. If we consider the entire pacific region, this number skyrockets to 2,500 children. Most of these children do not reach adulthood. They live a short life of immense pain. They leave behind grief stricken parents and communities, the scars of which would last a life time.
Every child is a gift, a miracle in their own right, and a beacon of hope for their family and the country. I speak this with my own experience with six children and 19 beautiful grandchildren. Each child’s life deserves to be honoured and protected at all costs. As humans, we are all bound by an inner call to help and ease in some way, the burdens of our fellow brothers and sisters. Today we can see the awe- inspiring result of what becomes possible when we respond to that sacred call. This Hospital was born from the compassion and commitment of the Sai Global Federation of Foundations, which delivers humanitarian services the world over. Over the last three years, the Sai Prema Foundation has saved 25 million dollars—single largest undertaking by an NGO in Fiji’s history. Sai Prema Foundation has brought specialised equipment and expertise from around the world. I have been passionately interested in this project. It is infact an emotional moment for me that in three days’ time, life-saving heart surgeries will commence at this Hospital for the most vulnerable children.” From April 30, 2022 to May 08, 2022, a team of 21 medical professionals including a few local medical professionals in Fiji, will commence the life-saving procedures by performing paediatric heart defect corrections on 30 children.
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital, Suva, Fiji
Inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children's Heart Hospital by the Honourable Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
The dignitaries present at the event
Unveiling the Plaque
Group Picture – Prime Minister of Fiji with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and members of the Sai Prema Foundation, Fiji
Inaugural Message by Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi
April 01, 2022: Mr Amit Shah visits Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli
Honourable Union Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for a completely free of cost new 400-bedded multi-speciality hospital adjoining Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli (30 mins from Bengaluru Airport), along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai who spearheads several humanitarian service projects in the fields of healthcare, nutrition, and education across 33 countries globally.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, a spiritual leader and philanthropist, has initiated this project and the upcoming 400-bedded multi-speciality hospital under the Prashanti Balamandira Trust to provide free medical care and to establish India’s first free Medical College, to offer completely free of cost medical education to the rural poor.
This is in keeping with our Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi’s call for greater participation of Private and Social Institutions to strengthen Medical Education in the country. The Prashanthi Balamandira Trust has taken this noble initiative to create, and nurture committed and skilled doctors to serve the country’s unserved geographies and populations, particularly in the wake of the dislocation of Indian medical students from Ukraine, opting for medical education outside the country due to availability and affordability challenges.
Already a completely free of cost, 150-bedded multi-speciality hospital without a billing counter – Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, has been rendering compassionate healthcare service to the needy sections of the society at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli and it was dedicated to the nation by Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka – Mr Basavaraj Bommai in August 2021. The new 400 bedded hospital block, which is an investment of approximately INR 300-crores by the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust, will cater to several other specialities absolutely free of cost.
Speaking at the event after laying the foundation stone, Shri Amit Shah said, “The vision of selfless service that I have seen here, speaks for itself. The strength and the futuristic vision with which selfless service activities are being carried out here, with no desire for name or fame, by only keeping the welfare of the whole nation in mind, with total surrender—makes me fall short of words. Taking inspiration from Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings, this institution at Sathya Sai Grama is carrying out a mahā yajña of sevā. Today the ground-breaking ceremony of the 400-bedded hospital took place. Running a free hospital is no easy, it could bring along a lot of challenges. However, I see that the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital is running it all free, with upgraded facilities and technology. I am extremely happy to know that the institution is marching towards commencing a free medical college for students—this will be the first-of-its-kind in India. This effort shall definitely find success.
January 20, 2022 – Ground Breaking Ceremony of Sri Sathya Sai Krishnaaniketanam, Kolar, Karnataka – New Educational Campus for Girls
Women, who are the foundation of every family and society, need to be provided equal opportunities for progress and thus a new Campus for girls – Sri Sathya Sai Krishnaaniketanam at Kolar district (Karnataka) has been planned as per the omniscient will of the Divine. Sri K H Muniyappa, Former Member of Parliament, Kolar Lok Sabha Constituency along with other dignitaries in the Divine presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai performed the Bhumi Puja (Ground Breaking Ceremony) for the Campus on January 20, 2022. Keeping in conformity with the COVID protocols, a handful of local residents and others who had helped in the land search had also gathered.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai revealed that the Campus has been named ‘Krishnaaniketanam’ after Sathyabhama, the consort of Lord Krishna. The Campus shall commence operations with a small school building in June 2022 to begin with, and then will gradually grow into a large Institution.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai along with the Dignitaries on the Dias Holy offering by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai during the Bhoomi Puja
Kolar Girls’ Campus Architectural Drawing Plan
January 18, 2022 – Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother & Child Hospital, Yavatmal, Maharashtra – Commencement of Outpatient Services
On January 18, 2022, yet another Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother & Child Hospital’s commencement of outpatient services began at Yavatmal, Maharashtra in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai; Mr Om Prakash (Bachu) Kadu, Minister of State – Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra; along with the Chairman and Trustees of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust. This Centre shall be dedicated to the people of Maharashtra, and shall provide the entire spectrum of mother and child care, including gynaecology consultation, ultrasonography, ante natal care services, well baby clinic, essential medicines, pathology, micronutrient supplementation, dietetics and counselling—and all these services shall be rendered Totally Free of Cost.
This Hospital is in furtherance to the various screening and diagnostic outreach services undertaken by the Satchikitsa Prasarak Mandal headed by its Secretary, Mr Prakash Nandurkar in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. The event also witnessed a baby shower ceremony celebrated for a few expecting women at the hospital in the divine presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai.
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother and Child Hospitals shall share its ‘mamatva’ to many more mother and children by commencing new centres in other parts of the country including Uttarakhand, Odisha, Haryana and West Bengal during this year.
Mr Om Prakash (Bachu) Kadu, Minister of State - Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra unveiling the plaque along with Sadguru
Baby Shower Ceremony
Sadguru emphasising on the significant and unified roles played by ‘Samaj-Sarkar-Sanstha’ in meeting the healthcare goals of the country
Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother & Child Hospital, Yavatmal, Maharashtra
Children of Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, previously operated at Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Centres for Child Heart Care receiving their Gift of Life Certificates
January 17, 2022 – Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother & Child Hospital, Kondapaka, Siddipet District, Telangana
Just after the holy beginning of ‘sankranthi’ on January 14, 2022, which marks the auspicious time for progress and prosperity, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai along with Sri C Sreenivas (Chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust) and other dignitaries, laid the foundation for the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Mother & Child Hospital at Kondapaka in Siddepet District, Telangana on January 17, 2022. Mr Farooq Hussain, Member of Legislative Council, Government of Telangana; Mr Rambabu V Katragadda, Managing Director of Pulse Pharmaceuticals Private Limited; and Dr Padma S Veerapaneni, Director of KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad and Chairman of RiSE Foundation, India were present at the event. This Hospital shall be built adjacent to the Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Niketanam Junior College for Women, and the inauguration of the Hospital shall be celebrated along with the fifth anniversary of the college on June 01, 2022. To commemorate this happy occasion, a baby shower ceremony was celebrated for a few expecting women at the College premises and the happiness of their hearts felt like a blessing to the successful commencement of this noble endeavour.
An Outpatient Clinic was inaugurated by Mr Rambabu V Katragadda to serve its purpose of providing outpatient services until the Hospital comes into operation.
Benedictory Message of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai
Sacred Offerings made to Mother Earth during the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of Sri Sathya Sai Mother & Child Hospital, Kondapaka, Siddipet District, Telangana
Inauguration of Outpatient Clinic by Mr Rambabu V Katragadda, Managing Director of Pulse Pharmaceuticals Private Limited
November 23, 2021– Launch Of ‘Bharath Rashtra Nirman Vidyarthi Nidhi’
To commemorate the 96th year of the advent of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai launched a scholarship scheme, ‘BHARATH RASHTRA NIRMAN VIDYARTHI NIDHI’ on the auspicious morning of 23rd November. The objectives of this national scholarship scheme are:
1. To improve enrollment and quality of primary school education.
2. To encourage students to complete their school education up to Grade 12.
The scholarship was launched by Dr Krishna Gopal, Joint General Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh.
This scholarship scheme instituted by the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust will cover the entire State of Karnataka to begin with, where 5,000 students, both boys and girls, from Grade 1 to 5 (which is about 1000 students per Grade) will be selected for this academic year 2021-22 from various Government Schools. These students will continue to be given the scholarship until they finish their Grade 12. The only criterion for selection for scholarship is their ‘NEED’— the child’s merit, caste or religion will not be considered. A pilot project has already been instituted by the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust in collaboration with the Rashtriya Seva Bharati Organisation. Their progress will be tracked on a monthly basis.
As part of the 96th Birthday celebrations of Baba, 15 healthcare professionals consisting of surgeons, nurses and paramedical staff who operated on 23 children for their cardiac defects at the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital in Muddenahalli, were felicitated for their dedication and commitment, by placing the child above everything else and worked around the clock to complete the surgeries within a week’s time. For the first time in the history of Chikkaballapur district, the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, a multi-speciality hospital fully equipped with high-end facilities, hosted a team of surgeons to perform these paediatric cardiac surgeries.
Mr C Sreenivas, Chairman of the Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust spoke his heart by saying, “Kabir said, God lives in our breath and hence is not to be searched anywhere else. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the very breath of humanity. Let us stay in the presence of love, mercy, human brotherhood, fatherhood, and Divinity – this is the purpose of Baba’s life and let it be our purpose too.”
Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence said, “The message of sanātana dharma is the unity of all existence. sevā is love made visible. If sevā is love made visible, God is infinite love made invisible. However, Sri Sathya Sai Baba is infinite love made visible in the form of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. He is a grand spectacle of divine love. He is the living embodiment of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.”
Dr Krishna Gopal, Joint General Secretary of Rashtriya Svayam Sevak Sangh spoke with conviction when he said, “Love and Service have taken a form in the form of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Ours is a land of spirituality. No child should be bereft of food, education, and health in this Country. Each one has to teach one, so that no child is left out. It is everyone’s responsibility to reach out to every human who is in need.”
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai delivered the birthday discourse when he said, “Sai is the embodiment of love and service indeed! Baba exhorted us to realise ourselves by loving and serving. Selfless service purifies us and makes us capable to seeing divinity everywhere. Children are the most important facet of the society. To take care of them is our collective divine responsibility. Baba has worked all his life for children. This is what we are continuing to do. Now the glory of Sai will spread to every nook and corner of the world. It will reach the last child of the planet. This mission will go on galloping every day. It will only increase in its magnitude and intensity every passing year. The future will be glorious. The idea of ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ will be realised by us. There is only one religion, the religion of love, there is only one caste, the caste of humanity. Baba will work through all of you and bring relief and succour to the world. Each one teach 1,000! Let each one of us embrace 1,000 children. Our journey does not end till we realise our divinity.”
To add to the ‘joy of giving’ that elevated the spirit of one and all on the November 23rd morning, Mr Sumeet Tappoo’s heart-rending songs for the Lord seemed like a direct conversation with the Lord, that sang its tunes to its heart’s content and touched the hearts of all the listeners too!
Dr Krishna Gopal launching the ‘Bharath Rashtra Nirman Vidyarthi Nidhi’ in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai
Student beneficiaries receiving the Scholarship
Mr Sumeet Tappoo and his team with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai after their scintillating performance
Software App launch in collaboration with VAPS Technosoft Pvt Ltd to monitor and maintain the beneficiary students’ data
Student beneficiaries receiving the Scholarship
October 15, 2021 – Inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli
Vedas are the mother of all the śāstras. It emanated from God Himself as His inhalation and exhalation. The word ‘veda’ means knowledge and is derived from the saṃskṛta root ‘vid’ which means ‘to know.’ vedas are the basis of everything one does in their daily lives and they serve as the guide post to righteous living. According to the ancient wisdom, vedas are the ‘revealed sounds’ that are self-evident and self-authoritative and was heard by the great sages by śravaṇam, thus getting its other name – śruti. ṛṣis or the ancient seers were called as mantra dṛṣṭas, as the distilled wisdom of cosmic knowledge was not composed by them, but was rather visualised and heard by them. That is why vedas are called apauruṣeya – that which is not composed by man. ṛṣis in turn handed this down from one generation to another by verbal transmission. Since time immemorial, the knowledge of the vedas was shared only with deserving students. The guru would test the disciple and thereafter, the sacred teaching would be taught at a gurukulam with the vision to contribute to the revival and proper understanding of sanātana dharma globally; and to spread the advaitic message that unequivocally states ‘All is Divine’.
With this lofty purpose of rejuvenating and enlivening sanātana dharma and taking it to all parts of the world where it truly belongs to, as the universal wisdom, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, by acting the Divine will, has established Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam at Sathya Sai Grama in Muddenahalli. The purpose of the gurukulam is to promote learning and research in vedic studies, and disseminating its priceless wisdom to all, without any discrimination, while also relating it to the contemporary context. Students, who will be trained in the karma, upāsana and jñāna kāṇḍas of the vedas, will be encouraged to travel across the globe to spread vedantic teachings to all.
Spread across 2.5 acres of land, the veda gurukulam at Sathya Sai Grama exudes the symphony between the beauty of nature and the quaintness of the gurukulam style of living, the effect of which is going to be accentuated by the positive sounds of the vedic mantras. Āchāryas who are adept in the ṛgveda and yajurveda from the Sri Venkateshwara Veda Vijnana Peetham, Tirumala, will be imparting the wisdom of the these vedas to the students. Students will be admitted into the gurukulam after their upanayana or initiation ceremony. They will be provided with accommodation (boarding and lodging) and education – both parā vidya (spiritual knowledge) and aparā vidya (secular knowledge), completely free of all costs, right from the time they join as a student at the primary school level till their university level studies. vedic and vedantic studies will be the prime focus of the gurukulam alongside academic subjects with special attention to English speaking skills for effective communication and computer skills to cope with the modern times. Secular education through the NIOS Board will be imparted to the students to make them eligible for Grade 10 and 12 board examinations, after which university education will also be given to them in the streams of Bachelor of Arts in Vedic Studies and Master of Arts in Vedic Studies.
The holy days of dasarā were used as the most auspicious times to propitiate Gods and Goddesses through homa (fire ritual) at the veda gurukulam, and it also welcomed several dignitaries of the vedic fraternity during this time. Sri Sri Dr Siddheshwaranandagiri Maharaj, uttarādhikārī (successor) of Dattagiri Maharaj Ashram at Bardipur, Telangana in South India, who completed his doctorate in saṃskṛta at Tirupathi and offers services at the pīṭham continuing the avadhūta paramparā (lineage of avadhūta); and Sri Malladi Surya Kiran Sharma who hails from Telangana, presently working as the Deputy General Manager at IDBI Bank (Hyderabad) and also serving as the Trustee of Shankara Seva Samithi and Haridas Dharmic Seva Samithi—proficient in literature, jyotiṣa (astrology), pravacana (talks) and lalitā leela rachana, graced the veda gurukulam. Honourable Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, and Sakala of Karnataka, Mr B C Nagesh also visited the veda gurukulam.
The official inauguration of the first phase of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam took place on the auspicious vijayadaśamī day in the Divine presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. vijayadaśamī is the day when Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasura; it is the day when Lord Rama executed Ravana and returned back to Ayodhya. Thus, the day marks the triumph of dharma over adharma. Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai graciously inaugurated the gurukulam by offering pūrṇāhuti (final offerings into the sacred fire) in the sacred homa (fire ritual) conducted at the gurukulam premises. The Guest of Honour for the inaugural event was Sri Bachampalli Santosh Kumar Shastry who hails from Dharmapuri, Telangana. He is a renowned Hindu priest, speaker and a writer. He is also known for his pravacana (talks), literature on jyotiṣa (astrology) and Hindu dharma.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai in His Divine discourse said, “We have so many projects which are going on like hospitals – super speciality and multi-speciality hospitals, schools, university, nutrition programmes, and various other rural development programmes. But of all the projects, veda pāṭhaśālā is closest to my heart and in times to come, I want to see it grow into a vedic university, that will offer various aspects of learning and teaching to the students. This is just the beginning and the initial batch of students are very fortunate to be the first ones to study here. Many batches of students will learn here and this should continue for hundreds of years from now. In the taittirīyopaniṣad, the Guru prays:
āmāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhā |
vimāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhā |
pramāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhā |
damāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhā |
śamāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhā |
yaśo jane’sāni svāhā |
‘Let this gurukulam attract brahmacharis (celibates) from all the directions, of all types who have great control over their minds and senses, have discipline and śraddhā in them. May this vedic gurukulam grow in its glory in all times to come.’ This is our prayer to mother Saraswati and Sri Adi Shankaracharya who is adorning the entrance of the veda gurukulam. It is Sri Adi Shankaracharya, who spread the idea of vedas and vedanta in this country. But for him, we would not be what we are today as a country. Our pranams and gratitude to all the great ṛṣis, pandits, mahatmas, who have continued this tradition of vedic teaching and learning for thousands of years. India is one country where vedic education is happening for thousands of years. No other country can claim this. Maybe other countries have education system which is 400-500 or 800 years old at best. But this is thousands of years old. Sri Rama, Sri Krishna—all of them went to veda gurukulam—and so also you (pointing at the students) are going to study in this veda gurukulam. That continuity is what is sanātana (for all times). This alone is permanent; all other things will change. Technology will change. Earlier we used to have trunk calls, then came phones with key pads and now we have touchscreen smart phones. We don’t know what is coming next. Everything else has changed in this world, but this remains as it is.
In this temporary world, vedic education alone is permanent. What is most important to me is you realising your true divinity within. Your education ends when you realise that you are Divine. For me, your education won’t be finished if you learn all the scriptures and graduate from the gurukulam. It will complete only when the jīvātmā and paramātmā becomes one. According to me, that is graduation, till then I would consider you only as uneducated. Therefore, all the students studying in the veda pāṭhaśālā have a great responsibility on their shoulders. Learn everything with utmost śraddhā (dedication), bhaktī (devotion) and with the feeling of ātmasamarpaṇa (self-dedication). In the coming future, this gurukulam will grow into many more such gurukulams, and it will be the responsibility of the students passing out from the portals of this veda gurukalam to look after them.”
Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai along with āchāryas and the first batch of śiṣyas
Sri Sri Dr Siddheshwaranandagiri Maharaj offering his obeisance at the feet of Sri Adi Shankaracharya
Sri Malladi Surya Kiran Sharma sharing his thoughts on veda gurukulam
The idol of Sri Adi Shankaracharya installed at the entrance of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Veda Gurukulam
veda adhyāpana and adhyayana
Sri Bachampalli Santosh Kumar Shastry addressing the gathering
Hon’ble Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, and Sakala of Karnataka, Mr B C Nagesh attending the Sathyanarayana Pooja
September 30, 2021 – Inauguration of Vidya Vardhana – Academic Block of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi, Karnataka
Vidya Vardhana - the new Academic Block of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence was inaugurated on Thursday, September 30, 2021 by the Honourable Minister of Major – Medium Irrigation and Water Resources, Government of Karnataka, Sri Govind Muktappa Karjol, in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai.
Also present at the event were, Mr Umesh Gopaldev Jadhav, MP Kalaburagi District; Dr Avinash Jadhav, MLA, Chincholi Taluk, Kalaburagi; Mr Basawaraj Mattimud, MLA Kalaburagi South – Vidhana Saba constituency; Mr B G Patil, MLC Gulbarga North; Dr S Jayarama Reddy, Chancellor, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya, Kanchipuram; Dr David Cornsweet, President, Divine Will Foundation, USA; Mr Yugumaran, Devotee from Singapore; Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence; Prof Srikanta Murthy, Vice-Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence. All the dignitaries toured the new Academic Block and proceeded to the prayer hall at the University premises where the main event was held.
All the dignitaries shared their thoughts about the University and the Sai values-based education system, and so did four students who spoke about how they are benefitting from this free education, which is shaping them into skilled individuals with compassionate hearts, ready to serve the society. This Academic Block ‘Vidya Vardhana’ will serve the purpose of shaping wholesome personalities with all forms of knowledge, as paragons of virtues, and the ones who will work for the welfare of the entire world. Emphasis is first and foremost on a perfect balance between spiritual education and material education.
Inauguration of Vidya Vardhana - Academic Block of Sri University for Human Excellence by Honourable Minister of Major – Medium Irrigation and Water Resources, Government of Karnataka, Sri Govind Muktappa Karjol
Dignitaries seated on the Dias
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai delivering His Benedictory Message
Unveiling the Plaque
Vidya Vardhana - Academic Block of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence
Gulbarga Campus Bird View
Honourable Minister of Major – Medium Irrigation and Water Resources, Government of Karnataka, Sri Govind Muktappa Karjol addressing the gathering
27 August 2021, Dedication to the Nation - Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital
Against the background of 70% of Indians living in rural areas without access to high-end speciality care, and on an average 60% of healthcare expenses being out of pocket, thus pushing 6 million people below poverty line every year, the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital stands tall as a beacon of hope by offering free of cost speciality care to the rural and underprivileged sections of the society. The Hospital was dedicated to the service of the nation by Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraj Bommai, along with Dr K Sudhakar – Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education - Government of Karnataka on 27 August 2021. The Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital will be a 300-bedded medical facility and will grow in phases. In the first phase, the Hospital is being upgraded to a 150-bedded high dependency in-patient facility consisting of 125 HDU and oxygenated beds, and 25 ICU beds, with specially equipped paediatric and neonatal ICU facilities to be battle-ready, should there be a third wave of the COVID pandemic.
Construction of the Hospital commenced in 2015 under the guidance of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. On 14 January 2018, medical services commenced at the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital in memory of late Mrs Sarla Indulal Shah, an ardent devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba who dedicated her life for the service and upliftment of women and children.
The Hospital serves patients in various disciplines of General Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dentistry, ENT and Physiotherapy. Many voluntary caregivers extend their love and compassion by visiting the Hospital regularly to provide specialty services such as Orthopaedics, Podiatrics, Cardiology, Neurology, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Endocrinology, Radiology, and Community Medicine.
Through the Divine Mother and Child Health Program, the Community Medicine initiative, over 85,000 children from 600 Govt schools have been screened. As of August 2021, lives of about 16,000 expecting mothers have been touched and enhanced by improving vital parameters such as haemoglobin and calcium levels, controlling gestational diabetes and blood pressure, etc.
To reach out to a wider patient base, the Centre also conducts monthly medical camps, and takes healthcare to the villagers’ doorsteps and pays periodic visits to government schools in the vicinity. Since September 2020, the hospital has served over 17,000 children in the age group of 0 to 6 years for congenital heart disease screenings, from over 700 anganwadis across all the 6 taluks of Chikkaballapur district. During the pandemic lockdown, when patients were unable to come to the hospital for their regular check-up, medicines were systematically packed and delivered to their homes. Soon, the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital will grow into a teaching and training hospital, which will produce paramedics, nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, who are willing to dedicate their lives in the service of the sick and impoverished citizens of the nation. Expansion plans are already underway, and the ground-breaking ceremony for a new block – Sri Sathya Sai Rajeswari Memorial Block – adjoining the current hospital building was performed by the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraj Bommai, along with Dr K Sudhakar – Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education - Government of Karnataka on 27 August 2021.
‘vaidya sethu’ – tele-health services offers free consultations and prescriptions through a phone call. An Advanced Foetal Medicine Centre with integrated fellowship programme will also commence in the last quarter of 2021.
https://www.ssssmh.org/
“It is my firm conviction that without a divine intervention, such service-oriented minds cannot come together. Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital—Sathya Sai means ‘Truthful’, ‘Omnipresent Spiritual Power’. Sarla means ‘Simplicity.’ Wherever there is spiritual power, simplicity simply follows. There will be no flamboyance. Simplicity with Divinity is sevā. What kind of sevā? It should be a sevā that is rendered to the ones who are suffering and who are in pain. Healing can be done only by the Divine. Only God can heal the pain. Doctors are blessed because theirs is a noble profession. God has bestowed the power of healing on the doctors. Here, the Divinity has commanded the doctors to perform the noble action of healing; and therefore, I feel that the name of the Hospital is very appropriate.”
Basavaraj Bommai
Honourable Chief Minister
State of Karnataka
Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, India
Dedicating the Hospital to the service of the nation by Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Basavaraj Bommai, along with Dr K Sudhakar – Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education - Government of Karnataka on 27 August 2021
