FOILies vs. Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission

Sabrang/FOIL classification: “R” = RSS-Affiliated. “w”: welfare
Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission (Mutil, Wayanad)	$5,420	R	w

From the web pages of the American College of Chest Physicians – Feature Article www.chestnet.org/education/physician/ chestsoundings/current/p2.php

“One Award That Made the Difference - Some Solace to the Tribals

By Madathil Govindaraj, MBBS, FCCP

Dr. Govindaraj is a 2001 Governors Community Service Awardee for “Bringing Basic Amenities and Health Care to the Tribals in Kerala, India.”

In October 2001, I received a Governor’s Community Service Award at CHEST 2001 in Philadelphia on behalf of the Swami Vivekananda Mission. …Soon, ..I was back among my Adivasis (tribals; literally early dwellers). I related my experience to my team of doctors, paramedics, nurses, social workers, and well-wishers. The formality of converting the dollars that I was awarded into the local currency of rupees took a few weeks. Soon after, our core group set to work on implementing “the award.” Our original scheme included wells for fresh water, communal toilets, solar powered “street lamps,” and some money put away to buy hydroxyurea for the indigent sickle cell sufferers. We eliminated the street lamps because concerns were voiced about maintenance. Finding suitable sites for the amenities, and rounding up squads for the actual labor force and for any follow-up work from amongst the Adivasis took only a short time. When our core group planned the facilities, we took special care to implement appropriate and sustainable schemes. All schemes were approved only after we identified the required manpower and ensured availability of resources for continued maintenance.

The masonry work started in April 2002. One well with an apron, pulley, and buckets was soon constructed, as were two sets of toilets. The completed amenities were inaugurated in a simple ceremony on May 15, 2002. An Adivasi leader inaugurated the facilities. The staff of the Swami Vivekananda Mission enjoys lots of goodwill amongst the Adivasis. This goodwill contributed to the completion of so much of work in a few months.

We hope to continue with the work, spreading the message from The CHEST Foundation deeper into the jungles of deprived people. We at the Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission are deeply indebted to the American College of Chest Physicians and The CHEST Foundation. “

NOTE: Why is it surprising that such a project should get done in a few months, and why is Dr. Govindaraj so gratified that his organization has the goodwill of the very people for whose benefit the project was done?

The answer comes from knowledge of Kerala – the extreme difficulty of getting anything done there due to the violent obstructionism and extortion practised by Dr. Biju Mathew’s organization, the Communist Party (Marxist).

The Order that came into being after Sri Ramakrishna's passing away to keep alive his ideal has now 130 branches in and outside India, with its Headquarters at Belur Math. The Math and the Mission are closely related, for the Governing Body of the Mission is made up of the Trustees of the Math and the administrative work of the Mission is mostly in the hands of the monks of the Math. Though the origin of both the Math and the Mission can be traced back to the days of Baranagore monastery, the Math was registered as a trust only in 1901, and the Mission, a registered society, in 1909, twelve years after it had been started by Swami Vivekananda on 1st May 1897. People, however, loosely use the name `Ramakrishna Mission' to mean both the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.

To stress the point : though both the Math and the Mission take up charitable and philanthropic activities, the former lays emphasis on spiritual development of the people and the latter gives priority to welfare work. The motto the twin organizations follow is the same, the one that Swami Vivekananda put before them, Atmano mokshartham jagaddhitya ca - doing good to the world with a spirit of worship and thus paving paths for one's own salvation. ….”

“Relief :

The Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission have been from their very inception doing relief services in times of natural calamities like flood, famine, drought, etc. Public support is the principal resource on which relief work depends. In 1990-91, the Mission spent Rs.5.89 million on relief and rehabilitation measures and distributed relief articles worth Rs.1.42 million.

Medical Service :

As part of their programme of service to the sick and the ailing, the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission run indoor hospitals, out-patients' dispensaries, mobile health units, etc. In 1990-91, they conducted altogether (1) 14 hospitals with 1,929 beds which serve 58,712 indoor patients and 2,073,471 out-patients; (2) 84 out-patients' dispensaries which treated 2,447,444 cases and (3) 22 mobile dispensaries providing medical facilities for 660,782 patients. The Mission has also a T.B. Sanatorium at Ranchi in Bihar State and a T.B. Clinic at Delhi. “

“Though every Hindu is familiar with the Ramakrishna Mission, few may grasp its truly vast collective programs. The well-known RK Mission was founded in 1897 by Swami Vivekananda. It had grown by the 1990's to include 130 branches in 13 countries, including 97 in India. Here is a summary from their 1991 General Report for the year 1990-1991.

On the medical front, the Mission ran 14 hospitals to treat 60,000 in-patients and two million out-patients, 84 out-patient dispensaries treating two and one-half million patients and 22 mobile dispensaries which treated another million, mostly in rural and tribal areas. They trained 500 nurses at five training centers. Total medical expenditures were US$2.5 million.

Outlay for education was $7 million for 800 schools and colleges with 110,000 students. Programs for rural and tribal welfare work cost $700,000 in 1990. These programs taught sanitation and cleanliness awareness, agriculture methods, literacy and more.

The audited balance sheet provided for Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, which appears to include all the Indian centers, lists total assets as $24 million. The 1990 income of $12 million came 10% from donations, 41% from government grants for schools and the balance from fees, investments, sales, etc. Education consumed 64% of the income, medical 17%, rural development 6% and 13% "general." ..”

“Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences
(Recognised by te Calcutta University and Medical Council of India for Post-Graduate Teaching & Research)

Seva Pratishthan is recognised by the University of Calcutta for Post-Graduate training and research in medicine since 1963, the year of Swami Vivekananda's Birth Centenary. In 1977 the Indian Council of Medical Research recognised the Seva Pratishthan's post-graduate teaching and research wing - the Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences, as a research center. The Medical Council of India which recognised it in 1966 for compulsory rotatory training of fresh medical graduates, recognised it in 1978 for post-graduate degree courses. It is also recognised for housemanship training. The Institute was recognised by the University Grants Commission in 1987.

The Institute has now been conducting diploma courses in Child Health (DCH), Gynaecology and Obstetrics (DGO), Opthalmology (DO) and Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (DLO), Diploma in Orthopedics (D.Ortho) of Calcutta University. Quite a good number of doctors were doing their dissertation for post-graduate degree of MD in Gynaecology, MS in General Surgery, MD in Paediatrics, MD in General Medicine, MD in Radiology and MD in Anaesthesiology etc.

Medical Journals

The Institute has been regularly publishing its bi-annual Scientific Journal entitled Journal of the Vivekananda Institute of Medical Science since 1978. Its international recognisation number is ISSN - 0970-4396... since 1963, the year of Swami Vivekananda's Birth Centenary. ... entitled Journal of
the Vivekananda Institute of ... Medical Research A Rare Medical Case History ... “

Satellite clinics
... Pain and Palliative Care Clinic, Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission, Muttil, Wayanad
District, Friday, 9 am - 12.30 pm, Dr. Anuj Singhal Tel: 0493 602528 Email ...
www.astrovisiononline.com/ppcs/linkcenters.htm - 24k - Cached - Similar pages

Ashrama centers http://www.sriramakrishnakalady.org/centers1.htm
... Free TB Clinic & Medical Centre Arya ... Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission Bull Temple Road ... Vivekananda Ashrama Swami Vivekananda Road Ulsoor, Bangalore 560008

“Delhi

1. Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission.

AREA OF ACTIVITIES
Working in the field of Health Services like conducting eye camps, blood donation center etc. The only thrust is to serve people living in the Jhuggi Colony and Slums.

Brief Life Sketch of His Holiness Sadhu Prof.V. Rangarajan - ... www.hindunet.org/vdpy/bless/b20/bls20.htm
”... responsibilities in institutions like Chinmaya Mission, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,
Voshwa Hindu Parishad, Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission and Vivekananda ... “

Karuna Charities, Inc. www.karunacharities.com/beneficiaries.html
... India [donated 2 wheelchairs] Sevan Society, Trichur, Kerala [Heart Surgery] Swami
Vivekananda Medical Mission, Wynad District, Kerala, India Manavi, Jersey ...

Students' Britannica | Articles | RAMAKRISHNA MISSION
... the earlier wishes of Swami Vivekananda of having ... out of classes held by Vivekananda
while on ... philanthropic activities, including medical service, educational ...
www.stubrit.com/nstub/home/ DisplayArticle.asp?keyword=Ramakrishna%20Mission

main.html icarus.cc.uic.edu/stud_orgs/religion/hindu/home.html
... Any money we raise through fundraisers will be donated to the Swami Vivekananda
Medical Mission in Kashmir through the India Development and Relief Fund. ...
- 9k - Cached - Similar pages

India Currents Feature
... Mission for Vision. ... to the Natraj Hospital, provided accommodation, food, medical
examinations, surgery ... man is heeding the call of Swami Vivekananda: "Help is ...
www.indiacurrents.com/200004/feature1.htm

Welcome to Tamil and Tamil Nadu Resource Page
... Vellore Christian Medical College & Hospital,Vellore ... Ramakrishna Mission; Sevalaya;
Share & Care ... Vivekananda, Swami - Vendta.Org; Vivekananda, Swami - Clarkson.edu ...
www.directoryindia.com/state/tamil/tcontents.html - 54k - Cached - Similar pages

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Regional Briefs
... camp organised by Bhai Ghaniyaji Mission Society on ... 1 and 2 of the Indian Medical
Council Act ... KANGRA SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: Teachings of Swami Vivekananda were all ...
www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020914/region.htm - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

Desi Talk.com, Online Edition
... Homage to the Legacy of Swami Vivekananda’ event at ... 6 pm, ‘Asthma Workshops’
at Lutheran Medical Center, Sunset ... 732-496-2658 CHINMAYA MISSION OPEN HOUSE ...
desitalk.newsindia-times.com/2002/09/13/events.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages

Sadbhavana Mission to India for keeping India Secular and ... http://www.onlinevolunteers.org/gujarat/ events/sadbhavana2.htm
... the idea of taking a Sadbhavana Mission to India ... Play Author Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose, Swami Vivekananda, Acharya Vinoba ... is now part of GE Medical Systems. ...

Project India: India's Pathway to Peace http://www.mssc.edu/international/mccaleb/ India/organization.htm
... of its children,” reads Sevalaya's mission statement. ... Gandhi Medical Center offers
free medical services. The Swami Vivekananda free library and reading room ...

”... art education and medical facilities, the Vivekananda Mission Ashram has come a long
way since it was formally established in 1962. “

“... apparent benefit from either medical or surgical ... Vivekananda Mission Ashram is a missionary welfare ... after the Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda, which has ... “

http://tribal.nic.in/arannexture8-2.html“ ... 393316. 56. RK Mission Vivekananda Society, Purniya. ... 198450. 81. Swami Vivekanda
Medical Mission, Muttil Waynad. Mobile Dispensary 10-Bedded Hosp. 200835. ... “

United Nations On-Line: [UNOL]: [Council]: World opinion (2) http://www.unol.org/messages/17387.shtml” 4.2. International initiatives and efforts - NGO involvement
According to the Princeton NGO archive the following Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are currently active in Jammu and Kashmir: Rural Development and You (RDY), Ved Mandir Saraswathi Vidya Vihar, Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission, Bharati Vidya Mandir, and Jammu Kashmir Sahayata Samiti. These organizations mainly impart education and create awareness about HIV/AIDS and other diseases, work for the socio-economic development of underdeveloped and backward villages, support displaced people - especially victims of terrorism - with education, clothing, food, medicine, etc. , and also assist in interim rehabilitation.”

“ ….. In a desperate legal move in 1985, the RK Mission invoked protective clauses of the Indian constitution by declaring themselves to be a non-Hindu, minority religion. This prevented the takeover of their West Bengal schools by the state's communist government. Such a takeover, had it happened across India, would have eliminated almost half of their income and more than half of their activities. In fact, most of the members and 900-plus monastics acknowledge with pride their Hinduness and teach it with vigor. …..”

Here's a partial list of those who signed their "endorsement" of the "report" which wants this organization banned:

"We the undersigned South Asia Faculty and South Asian Studies Scholars write in support of the conclusions reached by the Report on the "Foreign Exchange of Hate: IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva" and ending corporate sponsorship of the India Development Relief Fund (IDRF) and its associated Sangh Parivar charities..." http://www.stopfundinghate.org/faculty/index.htm

Dr. Biju Mathew, Rider U., Dr.Angana Chatterji, CIIS, Vijay Prashad, Trinity College, CT, Dr. Vinay Lal, Associate Professor of History, UCLA, Jamal Badawi, St. Mary's University, Halifax, NS, Akeel Bilgrami, Columbia University, Deepak Kapur, University of New Mexico, Moiez A. Tapia, University of Miami, Nita Kumar, Professor of History, University of Michigan David Ludden, Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania, Standing President, Association of Asian Studies, Sankaran Radhakrishnan, University of Texas at Austin Valerie Ritter, University of Chicago, S.G. Badrinath, San Diego State University, A.P.Balachandran, Syracuse University, Bhaskar Sarkar, UC Santa Barbara, Mahua Sarkar, Binghamton University, SUNY, Natalie Sarrazin, University of Virginia, Carol M. Babiracki, Syracuse Univ., Paola Bacchetta, UC Berkeley, Janaki Bakhle, Columbia University. Indra Balachandran, Thomas Jefferson University, Radhika Balakrishnan, Marymount Manhattan College, David G. White, UC Santa Barbara, Suvir Kaul, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, Veena Das, Johns Hopkins University, Nicholas B. Dirks, Columbia University, Frederique Apffel-Marglin, Smith College, Prasenjit Duara, University of Chicago, Jana Everett, University of Colorado, Shelly Feldman, Cornell University, Dane Kennedy, George Washington University Hans Henrich Hock, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Geraldine Forbes, State University of New York Oswego, Rajmohan Gandhi, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Paul Greenough, University of Iowa, Ann Grodzins Gold, Syracuse University, Peter Hook, University of Michigan, Eugene Irshick, UC Berkeley, Kannan Jagannathan, Amherst College, Inderpal Grewal, Professor and Director Women's Studies, University of California, Irvine Sumit Guha, Brown University Ron Herring, Cornell University Robert A. Hueckstedt, University of Virginia, Ania Loomba, Professor of English, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Pranab Bardhan, UC Berkeley Aseema Sinha, University of Wisconsin-Madison, George Washington University Hans Henrich Hock, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Geraldine Forbes, State University of New York Oswego, Rajmohan Gandhi, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Paul Greenough, University of Iowa, Ann Grodzins Gold, Syracuse University, Peter Hook, University of Michigan, Eugene Irshick, UC Berkeley,Louisa Gilbert, Columbia University School of Social Work, William Glover, University of Michigan, Lalitha Gopalan, Georgetown University, Stewart Gordon, University of Michigan, Sumit R. Das, University of Kentucky and Department of Theoretical Physics, Sally Engle Merry, Wellesley College Barbara Metcalf, University of California, Davis Murray Milner, University of Virginia Sanjay Joshi, Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Shamit Kachru, Stanford University Anjali Arondekar, University of California Santa Cruz Catherine B. Asher, University of Minnesota Kiran Asher, Community and the Environment, Clark University Brian Keith Axel, Swarthmore College Nikhil Aziz, Political Research Associates, Kannan Jagannathan, Amherst College, Inderpal Grewal, Professor and Director Women's Studies, University of California, Irvine Sumit Guha, Brown University Ron Herring, Cornell University Robert A. Hueckstedt, University of Virginia, Debraj Ray, New York University Barbara N. Ramusack, University of Cincinnati Falguni Sen, Fordham University Bharath Sethuraman, California State University Northridge Jenny Sharpe, Los Angeles Aamir Mufti, UCLA, Himadeep R. Muppidi, Vassar College Shuchi Kapila, Assistant Professor, Grinnell College Christine Keating, Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN John Kelly, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago Bishnupriya Ghosh, Assistant Professor, University of California, Davis Kedar Damle, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston Kimberly Davis, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Adrian College, Adrian, MI Samir Dayal, Associate Professor, Department of English, Bentley College Antoinette Burton, Professor of History, University of Illinois,Urbana-Champaign Homi K. Bhabha, Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of English and American Literature, Chair, Program in History and Literature, Harvard University Abha Sur, Lecturer, Science and Technology Studies, MIT Leti Volpp Associate Professor Washington College of Law, American University Milind Wakankar, Assistant Professor of English SUNY Stony Brook Ed Haynes, Associate Professor of History, Winthrop University Usha Zacharias, Assistant Professor of Communication, Westfield State CollegeCynthia Talbot, University of Texas at Austin , Shubha Tewari, Mount Holyoke College , Vinay Lal, Ashwin Nayak, University of Baba Prasad, Belk College of Business,University of North Carolina-Charlotte Leela Prasad, Duke University Indrani Chatterjee, Rutgers University, NJ Piya Chatterjee, UC Riverside Sanjeev Chatterjee, University of Miami Angana Chatterji, California Institute of Integral Studies Gautam Premnath, Uiversity of Massachussetts-Boston Jasbir K. Puar, Rutgers University Jyoti Puri, Simmons College Anjoo Sikka, University of Houston- Downtown, Annanya Chatterjea, University of Minnesota Kim Berry, California State University, Humboldt Malathi de Alwis, New School University Elisabeth Armstrong, Smith College Manali Desai, UC Riverside Fawzia Afzal-Khan, Montclair State University Ravina Aggarwal, Smith College Arun Agrawal, McGill University, Rama Mantena, Smith College Saloni Mathur, UCLA Sucheta Mazumdar, Duke University Sahar Shafqat, St. Mary's College of Maryland Nayan Shah, UC San Diego Dina M. Siddiqi, University of Pennsylvania William Mazzarella, University of Chicago Amrita Basu, Amherst College Arvind Rajagopal, New York University S. Ravi Rajan, UC Santa Cruz Aneil Rallin, California State University, San Marcos Harsha Ram, UC Berkeley Priti Ramamurthy, University of Washington, Seattle Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington School of Law Carla Petievich, Montclair State University Kavita Philip, Rutgers University Center for Historical Analysis Vijay Pinch, Wesleyan University Steven M. Poulos, UC Berkeley Dilip K. Basu , UC Santa Cruz Sugata Bose, Harvard University Swati Chattopadhyay, Santa Barbara

Registration No.:	11071/82
Work Started:
Contact Person:	Dr. N K Khosla.

Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission (Mutil, Wayanad, Kerala)

“One Award That Made the Difference - Some Solace to the Tribals

By Madathil Govindaraj, MBBS, FCCP

“Relief :

Medical Service :

“Delhi

1. Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission.