60-year-old Anusuya and her husband Surendra Prasad, originally from Odisha state of India were on their way on a personal to the city of Nashik. Getting down at the Nasik station Surendra went to look for an auto rickshaw, while Anusuya was leisurely walking on the platform carrying her luggage. 

Lost in thoughts she made her way through the crowd. Ahead somebody had spilled some water, which made the tiles below slippery.  Anusuya had always been careful of wet surfaces, but this time, lost in her thought, she did not pay much heed. The fact that her shoes did not have enough traction made it worse for her. Her foot fell on the water, and there was a thud. Next thing she knew was a burning pain in her left hip. She screamed in pain.

Her husband who was returning to her, heard her scream and immediately understood that something had gone terribly wrong. Passengers and staff of the station gathered around her trying to help her up, but even a little movement sent her in the throes of unbearable pain and agony.

Surendra reached her and arranged for an ambulance and immediately rushed to the nearest government hospital. The doctors at the hospital administered drugs to relieve the pain and said that they feared that there was a fractured femur. A basic x-ray confirmed their fear, but it was worse, Anusuya had fractured her femur head. And it required a complex surgery involving an implant to set it right, and they were told to visit a higher centre.

The moment they were informed about the complex surgery, the only thought that the couple had was how to reach Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s hospital, the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, in Puttaparthi.

Several years earlier Anusuya’s daughter had undergone a heart procedure in the same hospital. Anasuya had spent sometime in the hospital as an attendant for her daughter and was thoroughly impressed with what she had seen at the hospital. Advanced medical care, totally free of charge, loving care of the staff and a peaceful atmosphere.

The couple then bid her relatives goodbye and immediately made arrangements to visit Swami’s hospital in Puttaparthi. The next day they reached Puttaparthi. The Outpatient consultation was over and it was understood that Anusuya required a complex hip replacement surgery and a special artificial hip joint had to be put in her hip to get back her on to her feet again. The implant was ordered and Anusuya was in the process of getting admitted, but due to prevailing COVID situation, a nationwide lockdown was announced, transportation halted and the implant which had been ordered for her could not reach the hospital. Due to this, the patient had to wait for some time. Once the things settled and transportation eased, Anasuya was called back for the surgery.

According to Dr. Prakash Khanchandani the Head of Department of Orthopaedics, Anusuya had a complex fracture of neck region of her left femur bone. Such a fracture results in a nonunion and eventually leads to shortening of the limb with a deformity, thereby compromising the normal mobility and making the patient disabled for life. But for this hip joint replacement surgery, Anusuya would never be able to walk normally again.

There were mainly two treatment objectives in this case. The fractured hip joint had to be reconstructed with a special Modular hip replacement implant and early mobilization of the patient, so that other complications due to prolonged immobility could be avoided.

As soon as the implant was received, the surgery was planned and by Swamis immense grace a successful cemented modular hip replacement was performed on Anusuya on 11th January 2021. She was able to walk with a walker the very next day of surgery and while undergoing physiotherapy, she eventually gained back her confidence and showed significant improvement in next few days. Very shortly she was back to her activities of daily living.

“In the days spent on the bed waiting for my implant to arrive, I realized the value of good health. I had to be dependent on my husband for almost everything,” she said.  “After getting operated in Swami’s hospital now I am able to stand on my two feet, walk normally and perform my daily chores.

Anusuya has some wonderful memories of her stay in the hospital. “Usually patients anywhere wish to get out of a hospital as soon as possible, but with Baba’s hospital it is totally different. It is one of the unique hospitals where patients prefer to stay back for a bit more time than going home. It was the same case with me. There was so much love and affection showered on me and also rest of the patients that we never felt that we were at a hospital, the hospital was like our home. I need to especially mention the loving way Dr. Prakash and his team of orthopaedic surgeons took care of me. They affection would  make us forget our ailments.” she said.

There were some other unique aspects of the hospital also, which impressed Anasuya. “ Looking out of the window of the ward we see beautiful maintained lawns, so we are recuperating in midst of nature, it is such an enriching feeling. Also I loved how Swami’s bhajans would be played softly throughout the day, it would elevate the mood of anybody, so everybody enjoyed their stay in the hospital.

Anusuya was also overwhelmed by the fact that even in the difficult times of covid, the hospital provided the best care with so much love.

“When we checked with hospitals outside, they all quoted Rs.500,000 (Approx $7200) for the surgery. I am a retired teacher and we live on the pension we both get, from where would we get such an amount,” she said. “In Swami’s hospital everybody gets the best care and completely free of charge, so why should I go anywhere else,” she added.

“Sai Baba is our father and mother without Him who would have taken care of us. The only thing we can do is to surrender to Him and let Him be our guide,” Anasuya said.