In the year 2006, a unique programme called Reach Out With Love (ROWL) was started by the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Tamil Nadu. The programme entailed following up on cardiac patients operated at the two super-speciality hospitals of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi and Whitefield. This was mainly to ensure that the patients were able to utilize the benefits they received from the hospital to the fullest. The ROWL programme became a precursor to the Sai Rehabilitation Programme.

Initially, the idea of ROWL was discussed in the meeting of the Tamil Nadu State office bearers and then it was put forth to both the Prasanthigram and Whitefield hospitals. Both the hospitals were convinced that this programme would go a long way in creating a support system for the cardiac patients and would help the patients in realizing the maximum potential of the surgeries performed.

With the prior consent of the patients, both hospitals provided us with the district-wise list of patients and the programme began in the right earnest. As a part of the ROWL, we identified district-level sevadals to be the coordinators of the programme. Sai volunteers in every district would go to the patients' homes and enquire about their well-being, offering help to contact Swami’s hospitals again if necessary. Also, they would give guidance to them in leading a better lifestyle and make them understand the need for regular medications and tests to be done at regular intervals.

As the disproportionate distribution of patients in various parts of Tamil Nadu was an issue, the required number of sevadals were engaged depending on the number of patients in each district. This process was overseen by the respective District Presidents of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation (SSSSO).

While the ROWL programme was going on, the Patient Counselling department at SSSIHMS, Whitefield, came up with a new and structured programme for patient follow-up, based on their cardiac patient counselling experience. This programme was called the Sai Rehabilitation Programme (SRP). In April 2013, Sri Shravan Kumar, Senior Manager from SSSIHMS, Whitefield and Dr. Anand Mohan, the Kerala State Medical Coordinator of SSSSO visited the Tamil Nadu SSSSO Convenors’ Conference and the same day the Sai Rehabilitation Programme was inaugurated in the state of Tamil Nadu. The ROWL programme was merged with the SRP.  

As the SRP was a structured programme, we learnt several new aspects of patient follow-up. Thus, making our existing programme, patient experience as well as sevadal experience more enriching.

With the coming of the SRP, in-depth training was being provided to the Sai Volunteers about the process of the follow-up. This included the various aspects of patients' current health status and their hospital protocol compliance.

At the organizational level, some changes were also made to the existing structure. We started with having a separate SRP coordinator for every district in the state and in some cases even appointed Samithi-level coordinators.

As training is an essential part of the SRP, we conducted periodic SRP coordinators training, at the regional level and the Samithi level. Moreover, the State SRP Coordinator would visit each district along with the District SRP coordinators to fine-tune the process.

Added to this the State Level Annual SRP Coordinators meetings started getting organised, which were mainly focused on sharing of experiences and making the programme more effective based on the inputs from the Sai Volunteers and the beneficiaries.   

As time progressed, based on the requests of the SRP beneficiaries, we organized a visit to Puttaparthi. We decided to conduct a large-scale meeting of all the SRP beneficiaries on the Tamil New Year’s Day in Prasanthi Nilayam. This became a forum where the beneficiaries could share their experiences with other beneficiaries. Also, we would invite doctors from both the Super Speciality hospitals to speak on the healthcare tips to the cardiac patients thereby reinforcing the message.

In the past 10 years, the SRP programme has evolved into an effective way to make sure that patients even in remote areas of the state are taken care of. Gradually as time passed several new additions took place to the SRP programme.

We realised that the best way to make sure that a patient follows the diet and medicine regimen was another patient’s testimonial.  So, this brought forth the idea of the concept of ‘Hridaya Sangamam’, this was similar to the Annual meeting that was conducted in Prasanthi Nilayam, but this was at a smaller scale and therefore more focused. In the Hridaya Sangamam patients come together and share their experiences, ask any queries that they may have and get the answers. In such meetings, we also started having clinics where they can get their check-up done by the doctors connected to the Sai Organisation.  

Looking at the sense of purpose and the zeal of the Sai Volunteers many private hospitals have also joined in the programme for providing care to the SRP beneficiaries. 

In the past 10 years since we implemented the SRP programme and the years earlier when we had the ROWL programme, the SSSSO, Tamil Nadu has reached out to around 5000 patients and counting.

This effort we humbly offer at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Jai Sai Ram