Spirituality and medicine linked

New Delhi HCFI Sunday 14th June 2009:  Commemorating the Birth Anniversary of Acharya Sushil Muni Maharajji, Acharaya Dr Sadhvi Sadhnaji Chairperson Acharya Sushil Muni Ashram inaugurated a day long conference on meditation, medication, religion and health and said that doctors should know about the spiritual needs of the patients.

Speaking on the occasion Dr KK Aggarwal President, Heart Care Foundation of India and Director, IMA AKN Sinha Institute said that the greatest barriers for doctors to discussion of spiritual issues are lack of time (71 percent), lack of training (59 percent) and difficulty in identifying patients who want such a discussion (56 percent).

Sh Ajay Makan Minister of State Home, Govt of India chief guest for the function said that the death bodies needs to be respected and all doctors should learn about the death sentiments of the relations.

Sh Buta Singh Former Home Minister said that both patients and doctors should strengthen their spiritual needs.

Sh Arvinder Singh Lovli MLA said that doctor should read about all dharma so that they work in sentiments with the spiritual needs of their patients.

Dr Ashwani Dalmia Secretary, DMA said that prayer is an integral part of treatment. All hospitals must have a prayer room to deal with the spiritual needs of the patients.

Dr P R Dhokaria President, IMA Central Delhi Branch and Dr V K Goel Secretary, IMA Central Delhi Branch said that meditation is as good as medication.

The session for doctors attended by over 300 doctors was organized to sensitize the doctors about the spiritual needs of the patients. The event was organized by IMA Central Delhi Branch in association with Heart Care Foundation of India and World Fellowship for religion.

Facts about spirituality

• Ninety five percent of people believe in God.
• Ninety one percent patients believe in God and seventy four percent feel close to God
• Seventy seven percent patients believe physicians should consider their spiritual needs
• Seventy three percent patients believe they should share their religious beliefs with their physician
• Sixty six percent patients want physicians to inquire about religious or spiritual beliefs if gravely ill
•  Forty percent patients believe that physicians should inquire about religious beliefs more
•  Only ten to twenty percent patients report that their physician discusses religion or spirituality with them
• Sixty four to ninety six percent doctors believe in God
• Forty three to seventy seven percent doctors feel close or somewhat close to God
• Seventy seven percent doctors believe that patients should share their religious beliefs with their physician
• Ninety six doctors believe spiritual well-being is important in health
• Eleven percent doctors inquire at least frequently about spiritual issues (less than twenty percent discuss this issue in more than ten percent of encounters)