On the occasion of 22nd Mahasamadhi Anniversary Commemoration of H.H. Dr. Swami Rama on 13th November 2018 at Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU), several programs were conducted on the University premises. Former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT) to mark the 22nd Mahasamadhi Diwas of Dr. Swami Rama.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, was the Chief Guest. On arrival he paid homage to Swami Rama at Swami Rama Centre. On this occasion Dr. Manmohan Singh praised the visionary Swami Rama for laying down the foundation of health services in this region. He said Himalayan Hospital had been providing medical care not only to residents of Uttarakhand but also of neighboring states. Recalling his first visit to the Institute in 1994, the former prime minister felt nostalgic and said that he was here at that time to inaugurate the first wing of the hospital which now has over1,200 beds and is in the process of adding 300 more beds in the days to come. He also acknowledged the work done by HIHT in rural areas of Uttarakhand, including construction of 14,000 toilets and establishment of 50 schools and 10 anganwadi centres. “In 1994 I was amazed when I saw Swami Rama’s determination to build a hospital at a place that was literally a jungle. Today when I see this institution flourishing and serving mankind, I feel blessed to have met the great man,” said Dr. Manmohan Singh.
24 employees of SRHU were awarded for their exemplary services in the category of clinical, best teacher, para clinical, and non clinical employee award.
This year the Swami Rama Humanitarian Award was given to Dr. Sudhir Bhai Goyal, founder of Sewadham Ashram that was established in Ujjain in 1986. He received a citation and a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh from Dr. Manmohan Singh.
On this occasion 2,461 students were awarded scholarships worth Rs. 11 crores. The HIHT member Presidential Body and Vice Chancellor of SRHU, Dr. Vijay Dhasmana gave a detailed account of the multifarious activities of HIHT and the University. He said HIHT has provided drinking water to 370 villages of Uttarakhand and have also equipped villages with toilet facilities.
The Mahasamadhi Diwas concluded with distribution of prasad by way of bhandara to approximately 8,000 including people from nearby villages.
Afterwards, an evening of bhajan sandhya by Gaurishankar Thapliyal Bhajan Mandli was enjoyed by all.
