By Niranjan Shah
My dear Pratik and Pratiksha: Hemant Patel, spokesperson for Muni Seva Ashram near Vadodara in Gujarat, India, has provided this information about the activities of the Ashram in his newsletter.
Ashram has installed a 50 square meter dish to be used to cremate bodies. For cremation of one body, 200-300 kg of wood is usually used. Electric cremation equipments have been in-stalled at various cities in India, but these consume huge quantity of electric energy, which is short in India and which may not be available all 24 hours a day. In this situation, Muni Sewa Ashram has revolutionized the problem by using solar energy. The Ashram is the only place in the world to have a solar crematorium.
Philanthropists and donors around the world came together to build Kailash Cancer Hospital and Research Center at the Ashram. Cancer is a major disease and the cost involved and infrastructure needed to set up a cancer hospital are very high. The mission of the Ashram is to provide quality medical facility to all irrespective of religion, caste or financial status. In the process of establishing KCHRC, the Ashram has established several pioneering initiatives like surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immune-therapy or biological therapy, investigational treatment/clinical trials, radiology, histopathology lab, medical oncology and pathology lab. Annually the Ashram treats more than 50,000 patients, conducts over 1,000 surgeries and provides medical services to over 100 villages in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Ashram has an orphanage, three senior citizen centers, two hospitals, 16 kindergartens, two schools, a nursing college and home for mentally retarded women.
Both Ashram hospitals have implemented Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Computers have been installed all across the hospital — admissions, labs, OPDs, OTs, pharmacy and other places. WiFi are installed and portable computers are provided to allow electronic data entry. Each patient is issued an ID card with photo and a bar code. This minimizes accidental errors in providing patient services. The card also works as a debit card. Upon discharge, patients get CD of complete medical treatment. Soon the hospitals would be completely paperless and cashless. Thus the Ashram hospitals beat Obama’s timetable to go electronic.
The Ashram has now installed a PET/CT Scanner and a Nuclear Scanner with a Gama Camera to diagnose early cancer and to detect recurrence and spread of cancer. The Ashram is providing radiation therapy, which is the most important mode of cancer treatment. Tata Center in Mumbai and Cleveland Clinic in the USA use this equipment. The Radiation therapy center of the Ashram, is treating more than 100 patients a day, while normal use is 50 to 60 patients. A second machine is needed for uninterrupted treatment.
A 100 TR (Tonne Refrigera-tion) Solar Air-conditioning Plant for the Cancer Hospital is also installed. The system consists of 100 parabolic solar dishes of 12.5 square meters each and generates 400 kg of steam per hour, which is used to run a Vapor Absorption Chiller (VAC). Before installation of the solar plant 1,000 kg of wood was being burnt in a boiler to generate the steam to run the 100 TR VAC. This is the largest solar-based refrigeration plant in India.
Muni Seva Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) foundation, is established in the USA to support the activities of the Ashram. Dr. Vikram Patel, Chairperson, Muni Seva Ashram will be in the USA from September 8, to October 8, and will meet all the well-wishers of Muni Seva Asharam.
For details about Dr. Vikram Patel’s program, contact Dr. Yogendra Shah at (330) 204- 3568, Hemant Patel (302) 250-4200, Kirit Patel (765) 977-2500 and Dr. Bansi Shah (336) 768-7945.
— Grandpa’s blessing
