Health and Spirituality, a pathway to overall wellbeing

Padma Shri, Dr. BC Roy and DST National Science Communication National Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal gives an Oration at the SKN Medical College in Pune

Spiritual healthcare involves treating a patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual elements as an integrated whole and not just freeing a person’s physical body from disease. Speaking about the new age concept of Spiritual Prescription and the correlation between spirituality and healthcare, renowned Cardiologist, spiritual writer, inspirational speaker and President of the Heart Care Foundation of India, Dr K K Aggarwal left over 2000 doctors and students at the S K N Medical College enthralled during his visit to Pune on Friday, August 22, 2014.

A medico-spiritual expert and social worker par excellence, Dr. K K Aggarwal is the only doctor in the country to have received three prestigious National awards namely the Padma Shri, Dr. BC Roy and the DST National Science and Communication Award. He is also a Limca Book of World Record holder for the maximum number of people trained in the lifesaving technique of hands only CPR in one go and the Senior National Vice President of the Indian Medical Association.

Commenting on his keynote address at the SKN Medical College, Dr K K Aggarwal, President of the Heart Care Foundation of India said, “Health is not merely an absence of disease but a state of physical, mental, social and spiritual well being. I feel that spiritual prescription should be an integral part of modern medicine for a person can truly be healthy only when there exists’ a balance between his sympathetic and parasympathetic state. Unfortunately mental health education is not a part of the course curriculum at the MBBS level. I feel that in addition to normal disease prevention measures, one should follow the principles of non-violent communication, confession, non-materialistic gifting, creative thinking and community service to achieve complete inner happiness and to live a healthy life”

During his oration, Dr Aggarwal also gave an example of how by chanting vowels with nasal consonants; one can get benefits such as pain relief and mental relaxation. For instance it is very common to chant ‘AUM’ or ‘OM’ while meditating or while trying to relax one’s mind. The scientific principle behind this is that Aum/Om is nothing but a combination of a vowel Au or O along with a nasal consonant UM or M. It is a well-known fact that whenever we suffer physical pain, we automatically produce a vowel sound like in the case of being pricked by a pin or needle the natural reaction is to say ‘ee’ or ‘Ah’. Allopathic research has demonstrated that chanting of vowels produces interleukin-2 in the body, which has an action, similar to that of aspirin, a painkiller. Similarly when we are upset, we weep or make weeping sounds. These weeping sounds are nasal consonants, which produces delta activity in the mind EEG with results similar those of a tranquilizer.

A pioneer of leading health initiatives, Dr. K K Aggarwal has been instrumental in bringing treatments such as clot dissolving therapy for acute heart attacks and Colour Doppler Echocardiography in the country.  In addition to this, he has also conceptualized and organized unique consumer driven health awareness platforms such as The Perfect Health Mela and the Run for your Heart as a part of his role as the President of The Heart Care Foundation of India. His most recent project within the NGO called the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund is playing an instrumental role in providing heart care for all patients in need of treatment but do not have the financial or technical means to fund it.

Dr. Aggarwal is also a member of the Ethics Committee of the Medical Council of India, and he is well versed with topics such as ethical guidelines every medical practitioner must follow, medical negligence, article 21 of the constitution and a person’s right to universal healthcare.

Even the dead body needs respect

New Delhi, 4^th July, 2013: Moderating a session organized by All India Radio in association with Heart Care Foundation of India, Padma Shri and Dr. B C Roy National Awardee Dr. K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India said that death is inevitable but is the most traumatic experience a family can undergo.  Practicing compassion-based medicine as well as etiquette-based medicine by medical professionals can make all the difference. At the time of death, the family should be communicated properly:

·  If the chances of survival are practically nil, the family should be offered options for a second opinion, shifting the patient to his/her home or shifting the patient to a room with spiritual atmosphere.

·  Doctor should never say that there is no cure for this illness.  They can only say I have no cure for this illness or my pathy does not  have a cure for this illness.

·  Artificial prolongation of death is not a part of any Sanskara or  Vedic Philosophy.

The seminar was organized at All India Radio Studio and the panelists included Dr. V.K. Chauhan from Homoeopathy and Dr. Preeti Chabbra, Ayurveda Physician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr Laxmi Bajpai Station Director AIR Delhi Kendra.

Highlights

·        Death is not an instant process but takes time.

·        Stoppage of heart does not mean that person is dead.

·        After the heart and respiration have stopped, it may take 10 to 48 minutes for the whole process of death to complete.  During this period, therefore, death can be made reversible by using proper revival diagnostic.

As per Vedic text, the first to go in the process of death is speech, second to go is listening, third to go is memory, fourth to go is brain and the last to go is Tejas

In a short survey done by the Heart Care Foundation of India, the following were observed:-

a)   Public wants a prayer/mourning room in the hospital where the death of the patient should be declared to the relations.

(b)    After the death of their family member, people expect a meeting between the treating doctors and the administrators to know all about the cause of death and precautions to be taken to prevent similar catastrophe for other family members. They also like to know if any special precautions need to be taken for cremation purpose to prevent spread of any communicable disease from the dead body to the human being.

(c)   As per Bhagavad Gita, whatever your thoughts are at the time of death will decide your future birth.  The following have been suggested to make your flow of thoughts positive at the time of death: Day time or create day-like light in the night; chanting of OM or Gayatri Mantra or any other religious prayer at the time of death especially if the death is occurring after full moon. If the death is taking place at home, then a yagna can be performed.

(d)    Always allow relations to be near the patient during the last time and they would like to know the last wishes of the dying person.

(e)   A dead body is never a source of infection to others unless it is infected with a communicable disease.  Never force people to cremate the body without performing proper rituals unless you are really serious that the dead body can be a source of infection to others.