ISKCON launched into the UK NHS

For the first time in ISKCON - UK, a 5-day Certificate Course for Clinical Chaplaincy was organized in Bhaktivedanta Manor by the Department of Spiritual Care of Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai, India. Dr. V.G.Shanbhag (Vishwarup das), Deputy Director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Rajesh Kadam (Ramsharan das), Manager, Department Of Spiritual Care, conducted this course for the congregational devotees of London. Srila Prabhupada's disciples, Tribhangananda das and Radha Priya devi dasi mataji and twenty two others participated in this training as students. 6 Bhakti Vriksha students undertook this course and passed successfully. 3 Registered nurses graduated as nurse chaplains. It was an endeavour by Bhaktivedanta Hospital to train devotees in UK to become clinical chaplains in a professional way so that they can provide spiritual care to sick devotees from UK congregation at their homes and while being admitted in the hospital. Such devotee chaplains will also be eligible to provide generic spiritual care to anyone admitted in UK hospitals, nursing homes and hospices on request."

The ISKCON Nightingales speak Sukanti Radha devi dasi - a registered nurse, registered Intensive care sister and registered midwife reminisces the build up to this glorious graduation day. She says: One day I went to work at the ICU in Northwick Park Hospital NHS Trust. I was allocated to a patient. Before I commence any of my shifts I always mentally pray to Guru and Gauranga then I scan with my eyes my patient and the bedside. On doing so I spotted a photo of Sri Radha Gokulananda and next to it was a picture of Lord Nrsingadev. On having darshan of Lord Nrsingadev I knew this was to be a devotee. My patient was on a ventilator and could not speak to me to confirm this. I waited for visiting hours to enquire from his family. His daughter arrived and confirmed that he was a devotee of Bhaktivedanta Manor. Sadly my patient was critical. Knowing the patient was a very good devotee from the Manor temple and with the families permission I called one of the devotees to come render last rites. I was then informed that devotees were trying to enter the ICU for a month but was denied

access as devotees were saying they were the patients relative. Since ICU only allows immediate family extended families were not allowed. I then spoke to the Sister in charge giving her an overview of our philosophy and spiritual care. She then allowed the ISKCON devotees to visit. The Manor devotees and head priest responded immediately. A puja, kirtan and last rights was offered and the patient left his body in the most beautiful and peaceful way. I then spoke to Ashok das who is the son in law of the patient and enquired if he would like to join the chaplaincy team at Northwick Park Hospital offering chaplaincy service to vaishnavs since as a nurse I am often left in a situation where I come across a devotee that has taken ill and there is a little difficulty in trying to find a devotee to visit and render professional ISKCON Chaplaincy care. Once Ashok agreed, I contacted the necessary authorities and we set up the service at the hospital with advice from HG Praghosa das ISKCON UK GBC. I then contacted Bhaktivedanta Hospital Spiritual care department, specifically Vishwarup das (Dr V Shanbhag- Head of Spiritual Care Department Bhaktivedanta Hospital) and together we worked on developing an ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy curriculum with elements that was viable for an NHS hospital. Sukanti Radha explains that every ISKCON nurse should desire to become an ISKCON nurse chaplain. She says it makes one appreciate nursing as a service rather than a job. Manikundala devi dasi a disciple of Tamal Krishna Goswami and a Mental Health nurse in the NHS says: the Clinical Chaplaincy long awaited course met all my expectations and as a nurse I would highly recommend it to all healthcare professionals who wish to provide spiritual care. One Year later It is a year now that the ISKCON UK Chaplaincy service was trialled at Northwick Park Hospital NHS trust and proved very successful with 2 part time ISKCON Chaplains. The ISKCON UK Chaplaincy service is now rendered free of charge in the NHS, nursing homes and hospices. Devotees, their friends and family can now request this service from ISKCON UK. We now have our very first pioneering group of professionally qualified ISKCON UK Chaplains.

This service has been welcomed by several ISKCON Leaders: Congratulations and Best Wishes From HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj My Dear Spiritual daughter Sukhanti Radha

I am very pleased to know that the Chaplaincy service training course is now well established. This form of preaching in hospital settings is very important since we are able to emphasize the value of spiritual consciousness rather than just the body. It is impressive all the aspects that are now in place to set up Spiritual Chaplaincy in the UK, and hopefully this can help to establish such service in other countries . Thank you for taking up this responsibility and developing the program to this extent. I wish all the graduates of the Chaplaincy program all success in their endeavours and that these are pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna. Our aim is to awaken people to understand their spiritual identity and to be able to engage them in some form of devotional service. If patients at hospitals can have that opportunity, it will be a great blessing and their good fortune. I pray that this initiative helps to expand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission in a recognized way. I thank the managers of the Bhaktivedanta Manor and H.G. Praghosa das for their support and Vishwarup das and Ramsharan das for their services towards this program. Your well-wisher always, Jayapataka Swami Congratulations and Best Wishes From HH Giriraj Swami Maharaj My congratulations and best wishes to the new chaplains on your graduation today, and on the launch of the ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy service. With your new qualification, you will be able to help many, many souls. My appreciation and gratitude go to Vishwarup das and Ramsharan das for conducting the course, and to the management of Bhaktivedanta Manor for hosting and facilitating it. Your vision and support of the program will bring auspiciousness to many lives in many places. As servants of God, Krishna, we want to help everyoneespecially devotees. One great sage prayed, Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by serving them one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 3.7.19 as quoted in NOD Ch 12) Ultimately, everyone is a devotee. Every soul is by nature a servant of Krishna, and by association, by receiving beneficent loving care from sincere, pure devotees, a persons dormant love for Godand for His devoteescan awaken. Hare Krishna Giriraj Swami ISKCON UK GBC HG Praghosa das had this to say on the newly launched service: This is a very wonderful initiative for ISKCON in general and ISKCON UK in particular. The primary cause for celebration is of course the opportunity that many ISKCON devotees will now have to help others at arguably their time of greatest need. Sadhu sanga is such a crucial element of devotional life but even more crucial as we

journey on from these mortal frames. The opportunity this project also offers to work closely with other health care organisations both public an private is very exciting and a wonderful opportunity for ISKCON to be leaders in this field. My sincere appreciation and thanks to all involved and naturally a special thank you to Vishwarup das, Ramsharan das and Sukanti Radha devi dasi. The next ISKCON UK Clinical Chaplaincy course is scheduled for April 2014. It is open to Europe and Ireland devotees. Please contact Sukanti Radha Devi dasi on sukantiradha@gmail.com If you would like to commence this project in your country, please contact Dr Vishwarup das vgs@bhaktivedantahospital.com or Sukanti Radha devi dasi sukantiradha@gmail.com