Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, Prasanthi Nilayam

The foundation of the Prasanthi Nilayam hospital was laid thirty years ago on 23rd November 1954 and the hospital was inaugurated on 4th October 1956. Many devotees toiled to help build the hospital by carrying stones, bricks, cement and other articles on top of a small hill on which it was constructed. From the hospital, one could get a bird's eye- view of the river Chitravathi with the hills in the background.

The hospital initially had twelve beds, six of them for confinements, according to the needs of the time. The hospital catered mainly to the villagers and the devotees. The doctors and the para-medical staff were appointed by Swami. They worked voluntarily without any remuneration.

Some of you may ask why there should be a hospital here. Why should not Bhagawan Baba cure diseases by the exercise of his will? To this, Swami has replied, "The question is silly, for it implies that everything here should be done through some miracle or in some inexplicable manner. It also implies that one who comes here should not fall ill or die. For me, this is not my only hospital. All hospitals are mine. The hospital seems to increase faith, to demonstrate divinity and to remove doubt. It is Faith that matters and which cures. The patients who come here benefit by the spiritual vibrations that fill the air in Prasanthi Nilayam. There are also many who will be satisfied if drugs are given and injections administered. Their faith in grace is not yet strong. So a hospital is required for such."

Treatment both for indoor and outdoor patients is free. Medicines, injections, operations and deliveries are also free. During festivals like Dasara, Sivaratri and Swami's Birthday, special medical camps are organised to cater to the needs of the large number of devotees. Doctors attending the festivals at Prasanthi Nilayam are allowed to participate in the camps on a voluntary basis.

As the demands on the hospital built in 1954 increased due to the University Campus and the very large number of devotees coming from far and near, the need was felt for the construction of a new hospital building, equipped with all medical facilities. The foundation of the new hospital building was laid on 23rd November, 1982 and the hospital was inaugurated on Sivaratri Day 29th February 1984. The hospital has arrangements for one hundred beds with an air-conditioned fully equipped operation theatre, blood bank, laboratory, intensive care unit, X-Ray and an eye and dental unit. Well-qualified medical and paramedical staff have been recruited to man the various branches of the hospital.