With the Divine Blessings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an advanced 1010 kVA diesel generator was inaugurated at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

Acquired at the cost of Rs. 95 lakh the Cummins 1010 kVA generator supplied by Powerica was inaugurated by the Managing Trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Sri R J Rathnakar in the presence of the Director of SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, Dr. Gurumurthy and other senior staff members of the hospital. 

Speaking on the occasion Sri R J Rathnakar said that the new generator is an upgrade of the existing backup power structure of the hospital.“This will help augment hospital’s backup power and thereby help The Managing Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Sri R J Rathnakar inaugurating the 1010 kVa generator at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram. in providing uninterrupted electricity to the critical patient care areas as and when the need arises,” Sri Rathnakar said. “At the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, it is always our endeavor to bring the finest equipment to all Swami’s institutions so that patient care can continue smoothly,” he added. The new generator has the best fuel economy in its class, has low operating cost, low acoustics, is environment friendly and meets all the existing pollution control norms of the Govt. of India.

About two-thirds of the World’s population suffers from cervical pain at some time in their lives and prevalence is highest among the middle age group. After back pain, neck pain is the most frequent musculoskeletal cause of medical consultation worldwide. Many people develop a painful neck with spasm that follows postural mismanagement or following a minor twisting injury. This is called non-specific neck pain. It is the most common type of neck pain that usually disappears after a few days, with carefully controlled stretching of the neck, occasional pain killers or local analgesic liniments, alternate hot and cold therapy and physiotherapeutic deep heat modalities. A cervical collar usually doesn’t help much.It is important to understand that the exercises  should be controlled and guarded and any vigorous movements will aggravate the issue. Other important causes of neck pain include cervical spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, bone spurs (osteophytes), and spinal stenosis. “Cervical spondylosis” is a general term for arthritis or wear and tear that affects cervical spine. It is very common and a natural consequence of growing older. By age 60, about 9 in 10 people have cervical spondylosis. The neck muscles are in spasm and movements are grossly restricted. More so, it may be accompanied by tension headaches and dizziness. 

When to see a doctor: Red Flags

• Neck pain that is getting worse and not responding to rest or with over the counter medications.

• Clicking and grating sounds getting worse.

• Frequent dizziness and black outs.

• Numbness or tingling in upper limbs.

• Trouble with coordination or walking.

• Muscle weakness or heaviness in arms or legs.

• Loss of bladder or bowel control.

Prevention is better than Cure

•  Use good posture when standing or sitting, be sure that the shoulders are in a straight line over the hips and ears are directly over the shoulders. When using cell phones, tablets and other small screens, keep the head up rather than bending the neck to look down at the device.

• Take frequent breaks, while travelling long distances or working long hours at the computer. Get up, move around, and stretch your neck and shoulders.

• Adjust the desk height, chair and computer so that the monitor is at eye level. Knees should be slightly lower than hips. Use the chair’s armrests. Keep eyewear prescription up to date otherwise you tend to lean your head to see better.

• Sleep in a healthy position. Use a small pillow under your neck. Try sleeping on the back with thighs elevated on pillows, which will flatten the spinal muscles. Cervical pillows available commercially are helpful.

• Relaxation techniques to counter stress and Pranayama help in early recovery. 

Working with neck pain: Overall, getting back to work sooner rather than later is helpful for most people. It’s much better to stay active, even if you need to take some painkillers to allow you to do so.

The programme began with chanting of the Sri Sathya Sai Ashtottara Shatanamavali followed by Bhajans and a violin recital by Sri Ambika Prasad and his group of musicians

Director of SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram Dr. Gurumurthy, Senior Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon from the US, Dr. Mohan Sarabu and Senior Cardiologist Dr. P K Das spoke on the occasion.