Dedication to the Nation

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 the 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 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.

Under the guidance of Sri Madhusudan Sai, the 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 aged 0 to 6 years for congenital heart disease screenings from over 700 anganwadis across all 6 taluks of Chikkaballapur district. During the pandemic lockdown, when patients could not come to the hospital for their regular check-ups, 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, producing paramedics, nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals willing to dedicate their lives to the service of the sick and impoverished citizens of the nation. 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.

‘vaidya sethu’ – telehealth services offer free consultations and prescriptions through a phone call. An Advanced Foetal Medicine Centre with an integrated fellowship programme has also commenced at the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital.

 https://www.ssssmh.org/

Sri Basavaraj Bommai H, Honourable Chief Minister, State of Karnataka addressed, “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; therefore, I feel that the hospital’s name is very appropriate.”