Spiritual Care Department at Bhaktivedanta Hospital...

...An Effort Driven by Radhanath Swami

The Spiritual Care Department at Bhaktivedanta is a dedicated group of Doctors, Executives, Event coordinators, Spiritual Care Assistants, and other support staff who reaches out to the patients and helps them through spiritual approach. The Department is based on the understanding that all ‘cure’ begins with the healing of the mind. While treating the patient for all physical ailments, the mind is also provided comfort and emotional care.

Health Aaj Tak, reports on the benefits of Spiritual Care at Bhaktivedanta Hospital :

Our Inspiration

The sublime teachings of HDG. A. C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, and personal inspiration and guidance of HH Radhanath Swami has resulted in the Department of Spiritual Care in the hospital.

Our Vision

To Cure the Disease of Death.

Objectives

• To Offer Spiritual Care to the Patients (In Patients, OPD Patients and Terminally ill Patients of the Palliative Care Department at their homes and also the Community Health Centre Patients) in various creative ways..
• To facilitate the staff members with an environment to practice Devotional Service along with their Job..
• To serve the Vaishnavas.
• To offer spiritual care at the various Camps of the Hospital like Barsana, Pandharpur and villages near Mira Road.
• To teach the subject - “Spiritual Care in Nursing” to the GNM and PBBSc Students of the Bhaktivedanta Institute of Nursing Education..
• To educate the Nurses from other hospitals in the subject of “Spiritual Care in Nursing” through Certificate Course.
• To carry out various youth activities through the BHYF (Bhaktivedanta Hospital Youth Foundation) like AIDS Prevention Campaign, World Palliative Care Day, various awareness drives etc.

Spiritual Approaches adopted by the Department of Spiritual Care to fulfill the above objectives:

• Spiritual care to the Patients:
  • Ambience: 24 hours kirtan and Srila Prabhupada lectures in the wards, offices, labs, mortuary (in fact, everywhere in the hospital) through the speakers system connected to the Computers. Photographs of Spiritual paintings are displayed all over the Hospital. Dhoop incense is offered in the entire hospital two times daily. Cleanliness is promoted rigorously.
  • Code of Conduct:
    • Wishing “Hare Krsna” amongst the Staff and even to the customers at reception.
    • Maintaining safe distance between opposite sex.
    • Maintaining modest Dress Code.
    • Strictly prohibiting Smoking, Tobacco Chewing and Alcohol
    • Observing Silence to maintain Tranquility.
  • Temple Activities
    • Deities of Lord Jagannath Baladev & Subhadra and Gaur Nitai are worshipped.
    • A team of 25 Congregation Devotees called “Archana” is formed for serving the deities daily (Cooking, Garland making, deities dressing etc.)
  • Prasad Served
    • Food served to all the patients is Prasad, offered to Lord Jagannath Baldev and Subhadra at the Kitchen altar.
    • There is no outside food allowed and Meat, Fish, Eggs, etc are strictly prohibited.
  • Patient Care: All the Patients are visited each day by a Spiritual Care Assistant. The Assistant greets the patient, gives cookie Prasad, reads for the patients from the scriptures, discusses with the patient about his / her routine schedules and diet and, whenever desired by the patient, discuss about spiritual lifestyle. Before operation, personal care is given by the Spiritual Care Assistants to the patients.
  • Daily Jagannath, Baldev and Subhadra Rath Yatra is arranged. The Rath goes to every bed. The patients not only get the darshan of Their Lordships, but also get the chance to offer flowers (Ghee lamps in Kartik) and receive Krishna Prasad everyday. For the patients, this becomes a daily spiritual experience of personal reciprocation with the Lord.
  • End of Life Care is given in the ICU at the time of death of the patients (Reading of Bhagavad Gita, Narsimha Prayers, Chanting, Putting Ganga Jal and tulasi leaves in the mouth of the patient, taking emotional care of the relatives etc)
  • Palliative Care is given to the terminally ill patients and their relatives and family members at their residence by the Spiritual Care Counselors and Executives. A group of College Students is trained as volunteers, to serve the patients at home.
  • Spiritual Counseling OPD is established for all the patients who would like to inquire about Spirituality and seek spiritual perspective at their problems in life and get Spiritual counseling / guidance to solve those problems with the spiritual understanding. Most of the patients are referred by the Consulting Psychiatrists.
  • Various Programs are designed for the patients:
    • “Premanjali” Monthly Program for the discharged patients
    • “Antenatal Care Program” for pregnant ladies, where lecture on the topic “Art of Mother hood” is arranged.
    • “Journey of Self Discovery” Quartery 6 day Seminar based on Bhagvat Gita for patients and their relatives.
    • “Parivartan” for those who attended ‘Premanjali’ and want to have advanced course in Spirituality.
  • For General Public
    • Sanskriti Program – Satsang program held Four days a week at three different venues in Mira Road.
    • Monthly Senior Citizens Meeting.
• Staff Care
  • Spiritual Education regarding service with devotion is imparted to staff regularly through follow up induction.
  • 4 Prayers are arranged for the staff of four shifts and Narsingh Arati is sung daily in the temple.
  • Weekly Spiritual Meetings are arranged separately for Doctors, Managers and Senior Nurses.
  • “JAGRUTI”: A Weekly program for staff comprising of chanting, katha and Prasad is arranged every Wed.
  • Sandhya-JAGRUTI: A similar evening program every Thursday is arranged for those who cannot come for Prabhat Jagruti.
  • FESTIVALS like Krishna Janmashthami, Gaur Poornima, Jagannath Rath Yatra, Govardhan Pooja, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Srila Prabhupada Appearance day (Founder’s Day) are celebrated.
  • On their birthday, staff members, are invited along with their department authority and offered the Mahaprasad of their Lordships.
  • Spiritual Trips to Holy Dhams are arranged.
• Guest Reception: Sanyasis, Brahmacharis and other devotees are received as per the policy of the hospital.
• Spiritual Activities at the Various Camps
  Barsana Eye Camp The Basic purpose of holding the camp in Barsana is Spiritual. Barsana is very dear to Radha and Krishna. The dust of Barsana is desired by Srikrishna Himself. It is a place of confidential pastimes of the Divine Couple. Serving Brajwasis at Barsana is serving Radharani directly. Around 120 villages surrounding Barsana township are invited for this camp. This belt being in Extreme poverty, there is no medical facility. And especially there are increasing incidences of Cataracts causing blindness. Removing cataract of a Brajwasi enables him to take the darshan of the Deities the very next day. Hence, to serve the Brijwasis who are very dear to Radha & Krishna, achieve the association of the Dham through service and TO ATTAIN MERCY OF SRIMATI RADHARANI, the camp is held at Barsana.
  
  Spiritual care activity at the Camp
  • The Camp starts with the Yajna performed by all the doctors and the leaders of the camp
  • Only Krishna Prasad is served to all at the camp.
  • 16 hours kirtan is performed by the volunteers for invoking auspiciousness at the camp.
  • Deity Worship Services are carried on during the camp.
  • Yatra is arranged for the volunteers after their services are over.
  
  
  Multi Diagnostic Camp at Pandharpur During Ashadi Ekadashi
  Around 30000 warkari devotees are treated at the camp on the eve of Ashadi Ekadashi. The Spiritual Care department, take the responsibility of inspiring the volunteers to serve the warkari devotees in the right consciousness. To accomplish the above, the following services are organized.
  
  
  • Daily Spiritual Programs are organized starting from 6am by Chanting,Mangal Arti, Narsingh Arti and Bhagavatam Class.
  • Krishna Prasad is cooked & served to all at the camp.
  • Daily Non Stop 16 hours Kirtan is held at the Camp and in the evening Harinaam Sankirtan is led on the streets of Pandharpur.
  • Books distribution is profusely done.
  • The Guests are appropriately welcomed and felicitated (CMO Pandharpur, Commissioner Of Pandharpur Municipality, District Collector of Solapur, Corporator of Pandharpur etc)
  • The volunteers are taken on a small Yatra at the nearby spots like Gopalpur temple, ISKCON Pandharpur etc.
  
  
  Spiritual Care to Community Patients who are admitted in the Local Rural Camps.
  The Patients are received appropriately and entertained by the Spiritual care Assistant and the officer. They are given Spiritual Discourses and engaged in HariNaam Kirtan. This is appreciated by the patients and their caretakers. Some of them take beads and commit to chant at least one round
• Spiritual Education in the Bhaktivedanta Hospital’s Institute of Nursing Education
  • This institute which is recognized by the Indian Nursing Council, was established to educate and train nursing students to become a Ideal Nurse having best knowledge and skills of Nursing and having attitude of Compassion, Respect, Care and Obedience. For this, the Subject ‘Spiritual Care in Nursing’ is taught to the nurses. The curriculum making and imparting lectures of this subject to the GNM and PBBSc, is undertaken by the Department of Spiritual Care.
• Certificate Course for Spiritual Care in Nursing
  We are now introducing a unique Certificate Course for Spiritual Care in Nursing for all Nurses.
  Course Duration: It is a Correspondence Course of 6 months duration for each level including contact classes of 6 days in each module.
  Contact Classes: Contact Classes will consist of full day workshops from 9am-5pm consisting of lectures, Practical Training Programs, Interactive Sessions and Question-Answer Sessions.
  Practical Project assignments will be given to all the participants, which will have to be submitted on a specified Date after 5 months.
  Examinations will be conducted after 6 months (Theory and Orals).
  Certificates will be awarded only after the successful completion of these projects and Examinations.
  All the required dates will be communicated to you via post and e-mails.
  
  Attractions of the Course:
  • Practical training in Wards with Spiritual Care assistants
  • Contact Classes taken by Senior Doctors
  • Interactive and Question Answer sessions
  • Interesting Practical Project Assignments
  • Experience in Counseling
• BHAKTIVEDANTA HOSPITAL YOUTH FOUNDATION
  The AIM of the BHYF is:
  • To Upgrade the values and caliber of youth.
  • To initiate preventive measures against the physical, mental and spiritual diseases in the society.
    • AIDS Prevention Campaign in various School. Around 3000 students are tapped through the campaign each year. Goal: To spread awareness in the society about AIDS
    • Palliative Care Activities: Around 30 volunteers offer care to the terminally ill patients. Goal: To offer voluntary services to the terminally ill patients.
    • Spiritual Care Services: Some Identified Qualified Youth, may be trained for Spiritual Care Services to Patients in the Hospital.
    • Environmental Care: To bring awareness about the pollution affecting the health in the society.
  Activities of the Camp:
  The members of the foundation enjoy the following benefits:
  • Monthly Educative seminars on Personality Enrichment, Reading Techniques and Learning skills, Managing Stress. Time Management, Overcoming fear, Overcoming Anger and many more
  • Satisfaction of selflessly serving the society with an excellent team work.
  • Experience of forming and running an organization under expert guidance.
  • Educational Excursions to near by countryside.
  • Camp Abhay Charan: Goal:- To facilitate Youth to live a Self disciplined and values oriented life in order to build a Pure and Dynamic Society. Features :- Physical Training – Games – Swimming – Cooking Class – Trekking - Rope Climbing - Rap ling – First Aid – Classes on Disaster Management, Personality Development, Value Education.

From the Desk of Dr. V. G. Shanbhag, Dy. Director, Department of Spiritual Care, Bhaktivedanta Hospital, 2009-2010

With immense pleasure and on behalf of the Spiritual Care department, I would like to congratulate all the staff members, doctors, nurses, Paramedical staff, and the Trustees on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Hospital.

Recent studies have revealed that every third patient admitted in a hospital suffers from depression due to his/her sickness and other related matters. Due to following a materialistic lifestyle—too much watching of TV, excessive consumption of junk food, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.—the incidence of heart attacks, cancers, etc., have increased by large numbers. Due to no knowledge of GOD, lack of Vedic culture and the Vedic lifestyle, people are lost in this material world. There is a missing link in all this chaos and that is GOD. Forgetting Him, and forgetting our relationship with Him has led everyone to a suffering and frustrating condition of life.

Specifically, to combat this problem, the Department of Spiritual Care was established in 1999. Since then, hundreds of patients visiting Bhaktivedanta Hospital have had their lives transformed and revitalized. We have eleven trained Spiritual Care personnel to serve all the patients on a day-to-day basis, and to provide them the much needed compassion. Such care is provided to all patients and is generic in nature. At the same time, the patients are free to choose Spiritual Care at their own will and convenience. I like to thank all our staff members for their cooperation and hearty contributions in our unique service to our most valuable patients. Touching, moving and inspiring the hearts of the patients to transform them is the success of Spiritual Care and it cuts across all religious faiths. Just read what Mr. Gupta has to say.

NEAR to DEATH.... NEAR TO FAITH

The dark rainy night of 9th July 2001, is unforgettable for me. I met with a major accident and I virtually saw death personified in front of my eyes. I was thrown off from my vehicle in front of a truck and was almost crushed. My lower abdominal areas were damaged to a great extent. I was rushed to Bhaktivedanta Hospital and the divine atmosphere gave me a ray of light on this dark night. The hospital staffs and Advocate Sri R. K. Maheshwariji slowly injected faith in me and my healing and spiritual journey thus began. The name of the Lord gave me the strength and courage to fight the situation. I later underwent three surgeries which were very painful, but I had the courage to go through the trauma and faced them all with a new ray of hope and positive attitude. In all, this hospital is a hospital for the body, mind and soul. - Mr. Gupta (Name changed).