International Medical Conference, September 3 – 4, 2005

An International Medical Conference was held at Prasanthi Nilayam, as part of the 80^th Birthday celebrations of Baba. This Conference was organised by Sri Sathya Sai Organisation of India and the International Medical Committee of Prasanthi Council jointly. The theme of the conference was “Sri Sathya Sai Health Care Mission – Sai Ideal Health Care”. More than 900 delegates from 27 countries participated in this Conference. This was the first Conference in the world that focused on the challenges and outcomes of delivering medical care with love, compassion and empathy to the suffering humanity.

Baba lit the lamps in the exhibition hall and inaugurated a medical exhibition at 8.10 am, on 3^rd September, at the Super Speciality Hospital. He went around the exhibition and closely watched the exhibits. Baba then returned to Sai Kulwant Hall and inaugurated the conference at 8.40 am, by lighting the lamps. The proceedings of the Conference commenced with the welcome address by Dr. Michael Goldstein, Chairman Prasanthi Council. After the speeches of two doctors, Baba blessed the delegates with His Inaugural Address.

The delegates were addressed by Dr. Michael Goldstein, Chairman, Prasanthi Council; Dr. A. N. Safaya, Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS); Dr. Allan Gradman, Chief, Division of Cardio-vascular Diseases, Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburg, U.S.A.; Dr. Narendranath Reddy, Chairman, International Medical Committee, Prasanthi Council; Dr. Kanwaljeet S. Anand, Professor, Paedeatrics, University of Arkansas, U.S.A.; Sri Kalyan Ray, Senior Director, United Nations; Dr. Kishore Udipi, Research Director, Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, California; Dr. Neelam Desai, Head of the Department, Cardiothoracic Surgery, SSSIHMS, Prasanthi Gram; Dr. A. S. Hegde, Chairman, Department of Neurosciences, SSSIHMS, Whitefield; Dr. Ramachandiran Coopan, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicines, Harvard Medical School, U.S.A.; Dr. Keki Mistry, Director, D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, New Mumbai; Dr. Anil Nanda, Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centres, U.S.A.; Dr. Michael Rakoff, and Dr. Venkatraman Sadanand, Fellow Paediatric Neurosurgery, Chicago, U.S.A.

The theme and delivery of the Conference was reflected in excerpts from Baba’s Discourse which was given in the year 1976 during the month of August. The Valedictory Session of the Conference was held in Baba’s presence in Sai Kulwant Hall on 4^th in the afternoon. The delegates from all over the world resolved to practice the message of this Conference in their lives and in their work.