Bhaktivedanta hospital
Encyclopedia
Bhaktivedanta Hospital, instituted in 1998, is a charitable hospital in Mumbai
, India
. Although closed in 2003 due to a labour dispute it was reopened in August 2004 by a different trust. It is located at Mira Road - East in Mumbai and caters to patients in the western suburbs from Borivali
to Virar
and beyond.
Bhaktivedanta Hospital is a project of Shri Chaitanya Welfare Charitable Trust. It is established as a tribute to Swami Prabhupada
, the founder of ISKCON. What was a 75-bed hospital (as of 2006), is now a super-specialty institution for Health Care, Ophthalmic Care, Community Care and Palliative Care .
, a disciple of Swami Prabhupada. As undergraduate students, they held free medical camps in the slums and villages around Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Way back in 1986, immediately after completing their specializations in various medical fields, a like-minded dream weaved them further together. This collective dream was to provide quality holistic health-care to the medically deprived people at a very affordable cost. Making this choice over the allurements of flourishing careers, they remained united after graduation to accomplish their mission — to help people have better lives. Initially, these doctors traveled from slum to slum, village to village — holding free medical camps. Driven by the same motivation and the higher purpose of providing holistic care (physical, mental, spiritual, palliative/hospice), the group gradually evolved into a nursing home and finally the Bhaktivedanta Hospital.
The Bhaktivedanta Hospital was opened on 11 January 1998. The hospital, in addition to providing free treatment to the physical body, also pledges to provide free spiritual care for all — the privileged and the unprivileged alike. The Hospital, now known for the quality of its community outreach programs, also conducts the annual free Barsana Eye Camp and the Pandharpur Camp in far-off places. And for providing spiritual care, the hospital has a department exclusively devoted for that purpose — The Department for Spiritual Care — making it unique in the entire world.
, Mathura District. The camp aims to serve the people residing in Barsana and the surrounding 120 villages. This annual camp was started in 1992, the latest being conducted between 31 Jan - 19 Feb 2010.
Special features of the camp :
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Although closed in 2003 due to a labour dispute it was reopened in August 2004 by a different trust. It is located at Mira Road - East in Mumbai and caters to patients in the western suburbs from Borivali
Borivali
Borivali or Borivli a suburban area located in the north-west section of Mumbai island. Borivali is approximately from Mumbai Airport and from Churchgate Railway Station...
to Virar
Virar
Virar is a name of a suburb of Northern Mumbai. Virar is a city and a part of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra....
and beyond.
Bhaktivedanta Hospital is a project of Shri Chaitanya Welfare Charitable Trust. It is established as a tribute to Swami Prabhupada
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna Movement"...
, the founder of ISKCON. What was a 75-bed hospital (as of 2006), is now a super-specialty institution for Health Care, Ophthalmic Care, Community Care and Palliative Care .
Origin
Bhaktivedanta Hospital was the vision of a few dedicated doctors, under the inspiration of Radhanath SwamiRadhanath Swami
Radhanath Swami is a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . He works largely from Mumbai in India and also travels extensively throughout Europe and America. He has been instrumental in the founding of the Mumbai Bhaktivedanta hospital...
, a disciple of Swami Prabhupada. As undergraduate students, they held free medical camps in the slums and villages around Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Way back in 1986, immediately after completing their specializations in various medical fields, a like-minded dream weaved them further together. This collective dream was to provide quality holistic health-care to the medically deprived people at a very affordable cost. Making this choice over the allurements of flourishing careers, they remained united after graduation to accomplish their mission — to help people have better lives. Initially, these doctors traveled from slum to slum, village to village — holding free medical camps. Driven by the same motivation and the higher purpose of providing holistic care (physical, mental, spiritual, palliative/hospice), the group gradually evolved into a nursing home and finally the Bhaktivedanta Hospital.
The Bhaktivedanta Hospital was opened on 11 January 1998. The hospital, in addition to providing free treatment to the physical body, also pledges to provide free spiritual care for all — the privileged and the unprivileged alike. The Hospital, now known for the quality of its community outreach programs, also conducts the annual free Barsana Eye Camp and the Pandharpur Camp in far-off places. And for providing spiritual care, the hospital has a department exclusively devoted for that purpose — The Department for Spiritual Care — making it unique in the entire world.
Annual Free Cataracts Surgery Camp
Bhaktivedanta Hospital runs an annual free cataract surgery camp, the Barsana Eye Camp, in BarsanaBarsana
Barsana or Varsana is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Mathura district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.-History:...
, Mathura District. The camp aims to serve the people residing in Barsana and the surrounding 120 villages. This annual camp was started in 1992, the latest being conducted between 31 Jan - 19 Feb 2010.
Special features of the camp :
-
- Detailed preoperative examination of the eye
- Advanced imported German Zeis operating microscopes
- High standard sterilization protocols
- Suture less surgery for cataract removal with implantation of intra occular lens in each patient
- 24 hours post-operative care before discharge
- Immediate post operative follow up camp after 4 days of discharge
- Final follow up after 40 days of discharge
- Patients receive post-operative medicines for 40 days along with 1 blanket and black goggles totally free of cost
- Wholesome lacto-vegetarian food for the patient and 1 relative till the patient is discharged completely free of cost
- All the patients and relatives are treated equally irrespective of their cast, creed or financial backgrounds
- Children, one-eyed patients and patients requiring specialized care, who cannot be operated in the camp setup are brought to Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, are admitted, operated and sent back to Barsana, free of cost