SAI MEDICAL UNIT, MAURITIUS
( SaiMUM )

Mauritius is a small island of about 1865 sq Km  with a population of 1.2 million situated in the Indian Ocean, consisting of people of Indian origin, of African descent, Chinese and French, co-existing peacefully.

The main health problem is non-communicable disease like Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Cancer and Substance Abuse. Mauritius has the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world. Around 20 % of the  population above 30 years have diabetes and 80 % of these are poorly controlled,  resulting in serious complications like renal failure, cardiac problems, blindness and lower limb amputations. 80% of all lower limb amputations are due to complications of Diabetes Mellitus and 50% of all deaths are due to cardiac and cardio-vascular diseases.

With rapid industrialisation, there have been changes in life-style. The modern trend of life, with a stressful and sedentary lifestyle and faulty food habits, has contributed to this unhealthy situation.

The Sai Medical Unit Mauritius (SaiMUM) was set up in December 2007 to provide medical care as per Bhagavan Baba’s guidelines. The doctors, nurses, nutritionists, dental surgeons, health educators and other Seva dals are all Sai devotees.

Since the setting up of SaiMUM, 22 months back, the Medical unit has conducted about 30 medical check-ups in remote and needy areas of the country, where the people were screened for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiac and eye problems. New cases were referred to the hospital for further investigations and treatment. Health education being an important component of these Medicare activities, stress is laid on Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Health talks were held around the island to increase the awareness of the public regarding healthy living.

A National Workshop was held on Woman & Health, where a Gynecologist talked on Breast & Cervical Cancers and the National AIDS coordinator spoke on HIV/AIDS. A National workshop on Youth & Health was also organized where stress was laid on Non-communicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, Drug & Alcohol-related problems.

Blood Donation is a regular activity of the SaiMUM.  Sai devotees donate around 5000 pints of blood every year .The Sri Sathya Sai Service Organisation of Mauritius is the non-governmental organisation which donates the largest  amount of blood to the Blood Bank of Mauritius.

The SaiMUM was involved in the project of Sai Vision in 2008, where it donated Rs 286,000/- to the Ministry of Health for paying overtime allowances to the medical staff for 110 cataract surgeries, giving light and happiness to 110 patients and their families.

The SaiMUM is also active in giving medical care and love to the inmates of Orphanages and Homes for the aged and the physically & mentally challenged.

There is still a lot to be done regarding Medicare in Mauritius where the population is blessed to have absolutely free medical care ( including dialysis, renal transplantation, open-heart surgery, etc.) in the public health institutions.

We, at the SaiMUM, thank our Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for having chosen us for this Seva (Service activity) and we pray to Him to guide and give us chance to do more service.

Medicare activities in Mauritius: