As part of the preparations for the Centenary Celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, RJ Rathnakar, Managing Trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, along with Ms Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), met the President of Bharat, Droupadi Murmu and extended a formal invitation to participate in the forthcoming birthday celebrations.
The President graciously accepted the invitation and expressed her joy that the Centenary Celebrations of Bhagawan are being organised on such a grand scale. She praised the noble ideals of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and appreciated the selfless service activities inspired by His teachings.
The President commended the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust for its remarkable humanitarian initiatives, particularly highlighting the free, state-of-the-art healthcare, educare and social care provided by the Sri Sathya Sai Institutes.
She also lauded the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, India, for their tireless and loving service to humanity across the nation, upholding the values of love, compassion, and selflessness that Bhagawan exemplified.
She fondly recalled that a large number of followers of Sri Sathya Sai Baba hail from Odisha and are actively engaged in various service initiatives under the banner of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Odisha.
Meanwhile, the World’s First Free Robotic Cardiac Surgery was Performed at SriSathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences(SSSIHMS), Puttaparthi. In his address, RJ Rathnakar, Managing Trustee expressed deep appreciation and joy.
He extended warm gratitude to Dr Srivastava, his family,and the visiting international medical experts from Russia and Delhi, who joined hands with the hospital’s own dedicated team for this pioneering effort.
On this historic day, robotic-assisted closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) was successfully performed — symbolising not just a surgical triumph, but a spiritual fulfilment. With this, SSSIHMS has become the first institution in the world to offer robotic cardiac surgeries completely free of cost, extending the healing touch of Sai to all, irrespective of financial means.
Valued at approximately Rs. 8 crore, this system is used for minimally invasive surgery, offering unmatched precision and control. It features a 3D high-definition vision system, a modular design, and comes at a significantly lower cost compared to other robotic systems. It has also received regulatory approval for telesurgery in India — a pioneering achievement in itself.