Sri Sathya Sai Orthotic and Rehabilitation Centre, Dry Bone and Simulation Lab, Centre for Tissue Banking and Orthobiologics, and C-Arm and a Mobile X-Ray machine were commissioned at SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram.

With the Divine Blessings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba an advanced Orthotic Centre, Dry Bone and Simulation lab, Centre for Tissue Banking and Orthobiologics and a C-Arm and a mobile X-Ray machine were inaugurated at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, on Thursday.

The new facilities were 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, Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthi Nilayam, Prof.  B. Raghavendra Prasad, Director of Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital and Director of the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital, Dr. K. Narasimhan, Joint Director of SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, Dr. Anil Kumar Mulpur, Registrar SSSIHL, Dr. Srikanth Khanna, Head of Department of Orthoapedics, Dr. Prakash Khanchandani and other senior staff members of the hospital.

Sri Sathya Sai Centre for Orthotics and Rehabilitation

Sri Sathya Sai Center for Orthotics and Rehabilitation is an advanced facility for designing and making customized Orthotic devices such as splints and braces for Paediatric and adult patients. Orthotic devices stabilize and support joints, correct alignment, and assist movement, thereby achieving patient independence and rehabilitation.

Orthotic devices can be used to support all the joints of the body, e.g. shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand ; foot and ankle; knee; and hip, especially in cases of fractures, neurological disorders, or for post-operative support. It has significant use in spine pathologies as well. The center will cater to about 100 patients every month and is equipped with a 3D scanner for patient alignment and all the necessary advanced equipment to make these devices.

It will be a boon for patients since the patients will not have to travel long distances to get these expensive orthotic devices made, which warrant custom adjustments and repeated visits, especially in Paediatric patients due to rapid growth of the limbs.

At Sri Sathya Sai Center for Orthotics & Rehabilitation, all the orthotics can be done under one roof and after customized fabrication with best quality materials, the patients will be fitted with these devices under supervision of an Orthopaedic surgeon, which is of utmost importance. The Orthotic device will be provided totally free of cost

Sri Sathya Sai Dry Bone and  Simulation lab: The Bone School

The Bone School is a dry bone and Simulation lab for training of Orthopaedic residents and fellows. The lab has 4 training stations, an arthroscopy station with a simulator, two trauma stations, and one Microsurgery station. The Arthroscopic simulator imparts triangulation skills, whereas the trauma stations impart hands-on training on saw bones.

Sri Sathya Sai Center for Tissue Banking and Orthobiologics

Musculoskeletal diseases affect a large proportion of the Indian population, leading to significant morbidity and accounts for a substantial share of outpatient visits at SSSIHMS hospitals. The role of Bone Allografts in complex Orthopaedic problems has significantly grown over the last few decades, and many clinical trials worldwide have demonstrated statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes for such diseases. At the same time, availability of such allografts is a big challenge due to high cost and limited availability due to the limited number of Bone banks in the country.

Amniotic membrane from fresh placenta has shown immense benefits and has been hailed worldwide as one of the most efficient bio-dressings. It has wide applications in Orthopaedics, Plastic surgery, CTVS surgery, Urology and Ophthalmology.

Orthobiologic treatments using Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) & Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) have shown immense benefit in various Orthopaedic clinical settings like nonunion, bone tumors, paediatric and adult reconstructive surgeries.

Sri Sathya Sai Center for Tissue Banking and Orthobiologics will cater to a large population of patients, providing these cutting-edge technologies free of cost. This center will work as a standalone unit within the wider Sri Sathya Sai Bio-bank and Research Hub (SSSBRH) proposal at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning , Prasanthi Nilayam.

Also inaugurated today were a C-Arm machine and a mobile X-Ray system. The C-Arm is an advanced digital imaging system designed for real-time fluoroscopic imaging during surgical procedures. While the mobile X-ray machine is designed for bedside radiography. It is particularly useful for ICU, emergency, ward, and other situations where conventional fixed X-ray systems are not practical.

Speaking on the occasion Sri R J Rathnakar said that the three centres along with the advanced machines inaugurated today were going to help the hospital in providing a comprehensive care to the patients. “While the Orthotic and Rehabilitation Centre will assist a large number of patients with disability and post-operative care, the Centre for Tissue Banking and Orthobiologics is a great leap forward in providing high-end patient care totally free of charge,” he said. “On the other hand, the Dry Bone and Simulation Lab will provide world-class training for the Orthopaedic residents and fellows, and the state-of-the-art C-Arm machine and the mobile X-Ray machine will assist in better treatment of the patients,” he added. The inauguration of these state-of-the-art centres and medical systems is a reaffirmation of our sacred commitment to Bhagawan’s Philosophy of Love All, Serve All. Every life touched and healed here is a continuation of Bhagawan’s Healthcare mission,” he added. 

In the year 1968, I was in Hyderabad. Shivam had not yet been constructed and Swami had just returned from his visit to Africa and was staying at the house of a devotee. Swami was staying on the first floor and we all had gathered on the ground floor. Swami came to the balcony and looking at us from above asked, “Who all wish to be a part of My sevadal?” Dasara festival was approaching in a few days and Swami wanted us to serve the devotees during that time. We were around 10 of us and all raised our hands. Swami then came down and pinned on each of our shirts a badge of Sevadal. That was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I still have the sevadal badge with me, carefully preserved. Then Swami addressing us said, “If you do not commit any sin in the remainder of your life, you will not have a re-birth.” 

During those days in Puttaparthi one remote area would be used by the devotees for their morning ablutions. I was in Puttaparthi along with some of my devotee brothers. One day Swami called our group and told us, “Tomorrow morning go to the place, which people are using for their morning ablutions and clean it. It will take a few days, but start tomorrow.”

This was an opportunity we as sevadal were always waiting for. The next morning we all gathered and got the required equipment like buckets, spades, brooms etc and started the work. As the work involved clearing a dirty area, we did not take bath and wore some worn-out clothes, which we then could have discarded had they become dirty. After working for around three hours, we were returning when we saw Swami in the balcony of His residence looking at us from above. The moment Swami saw us, he promptly came down and briskly walking towards us hugged each one of us. We were all flabbergasted. We were covered in dirt and sweat. Moreover, we had not taken bath and were not even wearing clean clothes, but Swami did not care, He gave us all a tight hug. He then moved back, His eyes had a question for all of us. He then said softly, “So the job I give you is a dirty job, so you did not take a bath or wear clean clothes?” When the complete import of the question hit us, we realized what a blunder we had committed. Swami had given us a job. The Lord of the creation had given us a job and with our tiny minds, we had decided that it was a dirty job so we went wearing unclean clothes and without a bath. What a blunder it was!  Then Swami added, “Whenever you do Swami’s work remember, you must take a bath, wear clean clothes and put vibhuti and then perform the seva, understood?”  We meekly nodded. Swami’s seva is not just some work, let alone dirty work, it is worship. 

Sangeeta Gupta, a resident of Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, visited the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram in 2010 with a heart problem. She was suffering from Rheumatic Heart Disease, in which her Mitral Valve in the Heart was badly affected. During Sangeeta's first visit, she underwent a procedure called Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy (PTMC), also known as balloon valvotomy, in which the contracted mitral valve is inflated using a balloon so that the valve can function more efficiently. Sangeeta later underwent a Mitral Valve Replacement at the hospital in 2019. As is always the case, all the treatment at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, was provided totally free of charge.  

"I have visited the hospital multiple times. I have undergone procedures and one major surgery. Over the years, every visit has strengthened my faith in the hospital's unique blend of world-class medical care and compassionate, selfless service,"  she said.

"The doctors, hospital staff, and Sevadal treated every patient with immense love, care, and dignity. The peaceful atmosphere and spirit of dedication made me feel as though I was being cared for by an extended family. The experience of receiving high-quality treatment completely free of cost, without any discrimination, left a profound and lasting impression on me,"  she added.

 Following her check-up in 2025, volunteers from the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Madhya Pradesh, visited Mrs. Gupta at her residence as part of a patient follow-up initiative, the Sai Rehabilitation Programme. She was pleasantly surprised and deeply moved by this thoughtful gesture. She remarked that she had never experienced any other hospital personally following up with patients through home visits after treatment. For her, this reflected that the care and concern of the Sri Sathya Sai healthcare mission extend far beyond the hospital premises.

Inspired by this unique experience of love in action, Mrs Gupta has developed a deeper connection with the Sri Sathya Sai Organisations. She joined the local Sri Sathya Sai Centre and expressed a heartfelt desire to visit Prasanthi Nilayam to offer Seva as a Sevadal. 

RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA IN THE HOSPITAL