AVATAR MEHER BABA PERPETUAL PUBLIC CHARITABLE TRUST
Post Bag No. 31, King’s Road, Ahmednagar - 414 001, Maharashtra State , INDIA
SHRI. V.S. KALCHURI - CHAIRMAN

March 16, 2006

TO PILGRIMS WITH SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL TO INDIA

Dear Baba Pilgrims,

Since Beloved Avatar Meher Baba dropped His body in 1969 to forever dwell in the hearts of His lovers, an ever-increasing number of Baba-lovers have been coming for pilgrimage to His final resting-place and home in India . As the number of pilgrims to Meherabad keeps increasing; so too does the number of Baba-lovers who arrive at Meherabad with some serious medical problem.

We are sending this circular to encourage all those with serious illnesses planning to travel to Meherabad for pilgrimage to understand the responsibilities that they are taking on as part of such a journey.

Among illnesses that are considered serious are: cancer, heart disease, AIDS, emphysema and other serious respiratory illness, severe asthma, unstable neurological disorders (such as MS), unstable diabetes, major psychiatric disorders (especially those managed by medication), handicaps such as paraplegia, etc. If a Baba-lover is suffering from AIDS and has active infections, or the immune system is deeply affected, then a visit to India would place that person at great risk. We are not prepared to manage medical conditions in unstable AIDS patients.

Many people with serious medical conditions have made a successful pilgrimage to the Beloved’s home without serious complications. However, it can be difficult or impossible for us to provide care at Meherabad if adequate preparations have not been made well in advance.

Any Baba-lover with a serious illness should consult with their doctor to make sure the condition is stable enough for the trip to Meherabad and get their approval before undertaking a pilgrimage.

When a visitor arrives with a serious illness that is unstable, then it can place their life in great danger and seriously compromises our ability to help.

We need to be informed well in advance about pilgrims with serious or disabling illnesses (that are in a stable condition) before they make plans for their trip. When you write to the Pilgrim Reservations Office of the Trust to inquire about accommodations at Meherabad, please openly state in your letter (or e-mail) what is your medical disorder and the status of that illness. We will then be able to start planning how to help you. The Pilgrim Reservations Office may then forward your letter to the medical staff that may get in touch with you and advise you further on how to minimize your discomfort in travel and during your stay. Your letter would be kept confidential and discussed only with those individuals who directly need to assist you.

Patients with serious psychiatric conditions should not discontinue their medication if they are planning to come to India . The rigors of international travel can place a great strain on an individual’s psychiatric condition. Managing a nervous breakdown at Meherabad when a person has discontinued or reduced their psychiatric medicines can be extremely distressing to that person and to other pilgrims. Staying on a stable dose of medication will help keep the condition in balance.

If you are unsure about what precautions you need to take, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Pilgrim Reservations Office or our medical staff directly. Women planning to arrive in India while they are pregnant should also inform us. Medical facilities and medical care at Meherabad are very limited and many of the medical facilities in Ahmednagar do not even meet the minimal standards of reasonable care. The closest city where better care is provided is Pune. The hospitals in Pune are at an uncomfortable three hours drive from Meherabad. Unfortunately, a fully equipped ambulance with adequately trained personnel is not available. Despite the significant improvement in roads and vehicles over the years, the ride is still quite bumpy and in several recent emergencies the pilgrim has arrived in a critical condition at the hospital in Pune.

Once in the hospital, the patient’s food, drinking water, purchase of basic medicines, and special care are all provided by the patient’s attendants (family members or friends). Someone has to be with the patient during the day and someone sleeps in the same room at night. Making arrangements for the transfer to Pune, for round the clock attendants and for the hospitalisation itself puts a great strain on the pilgrim, their family, the Meherabad/Meherazad resident staff and the mandali.

We are prompted to send out this important information to our Baba family by our concern for you in your love for the Beloved. We know that you will understand that our most sincere wish is to help as many as we can to come for pilgrimage to bow down at His feet in their deep love for Him. For that we need your cooperation.

AVATAR MEHER BABA Kl JAI!!!

In Avatar Meher Baba’s Service,

V.S. Kalchuri
Chairman

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