Is the ancient adage handed down to us, meaning that the doctor (Vaidya) is (like) Lord Vishnu (Narayana) to the patient (and the people around him/her), emphasizing the importance of health care and the role of doctor in this mission. But “Amma’ has shown the path of health care in a new light by stating that even the patient is equally (like) Lord Vishnu to the Physician. This statement immediately reminds us of another popular adage ‘Maanava Seve Maadhava Seva’ (Service to humanity is service to God).
Health is the most vital need of human existence after food and shelter and hence demands equal if not, greater attention. For a mother the child’s health is as much of a concern as its hunger. The importance it is given to this basic need in Jillellamudi can be seen from the fact that, ‘Amma’ while feeding her children to first satiate their hunger, saw to it that a medical center that addresses their health is started on the premises there. Thus the Matrusri Medical Center was inaugurated, which started functioning some time in 1978 with bare facilities and minimal staff – a Homeo Physician, a nurse and a male Orderly.
The medical center at such a location assumes a special place as it has to cater to the health needs of not only the increasing number of visiting pilgrims, the inmates as also of the villagers, who have no other place to go. Located at a place away from the better placed hospital facilities of a town, the medical center with its poor infrastructural facilities needs to be improved, to start with, to the level of at least a Primary Health Center. Though the center right now is blessed with the services of a couple of dedicated Allopathic Doctors, who attend to patients during daytime and sometimes when informed of the urgency, there is a need to augment their services with a couple of Paramedical staff trained to provide primary medical aid in case of emergencies during night time. It might also become necessary to shift/ rush the patients to the nearest town hospital with better facilities.
This directs our attention to the need of a vehicle fully equipped with all the medical instruments and gadgets that go with an Ambulance van as an essential addition to the center. This van not only could serve in times of emergencies. but also serve a very important societal purpose, namely, for attending to the Rural Health Care in the surrounding villages.
So, there is an urgent need of concerted effort by one and all who have love for the institution at Jillellamudi, and who care for the health of the fellow beings to work towards developing this medical center to a full-fledged hospital with all the diagnostic as well as curative medical facilities.
Let us pray to Amma to bless us all with the physical and mental resources towards achieving this objective.