Beloved Baba bathing a leper at Pandharpur, 7th November, 1954.
Photograph by Bhaiya Panday. Courtesy Meher Nazar Publications.

Jai Meher Baba,

When Beloved Baba dictated the Trust Deed, He alone knew what the future would bring for His lovers and the world. But, in His infinite kindness, He left us with this document to guide His Trust, including charitable activities the Trust must undertake.

In the Deed of Declaration for the Trust, Schedule 1- Charitable objects and purposes (x), it states, that one of the purposes of the Trust is “For service to and for relief of the poor, indigent, illiterate, sick, the disabled, blind, giving of education, medical relief, reliefs of all kinds and help and succour, and amelioration in times of distress, flood, famine, war, earthquake, fire or other calamity or havoc, scarcity of different kinds, to the afflicted, and the advancement of all objects of general public utility in a selfless and altruistic spirit and particularly to promote a sense of oneness of humanity, tolerance, good will among humanity in consonance with the example of DIVINE LIMITLESS COMPASSION AND LOVE of which AVATAR MEHER BABA was unquestionably acknowledged and recognised all the world over as the embodiment and personification.”

One year ago, when the Covid situation was first emerging in India, the Trust was approached by the local medical authorities about possibly using our facilities if local hospitals were not able to cope with the number of covid patients. Meetings were held with the Trustees and the Meherabad Medical Team, the different options were discussed, and at that time it was thought the Meherabad Hospital would be the best facility.

While the Covid situation in this area was serious over the past year, the local hospitals were able to cope with the number of patients. Recently however there has been a sudden spike in cases and the local government authorities informed the Trust that it immediately required the use of Hostel C as a Covid Centre.

As we are a Charitable Trust, in these situations the Government has the authority to take over our property as needed, and without notice. They chose Hostel C to be the Covid Center as it is the building that best suits their needs.

Currently there are about 40 patients staying in Hostel C and all food, bedding and staff are brought in from the outside by the local health authority. Since the Govt. does not have enough staff, some Zilla Parishad School teachers have been asked to help at this centre.The centre is specifically for those people who are Covid positive but do not need to be hospitalised. They must be quarantined to protect their families and villages but cannot isolate at home usually because they live with family in only one or two rooms.

It is a small service on our part to provide a place for the sick at this time of need, an opportunity to try and help others “in a selfless and altruistic spirit and particularly to promote a sense of oneness of humanity, tolerance, good will among humanity” with our Beloved Meher Baba as the perfect example.

In Baba’s Love and Service,
Shridhar Kelkar
Chairman

Hostel C is to the right and the bathrooms to the left. The green cloth demarcates
the isolation zone around the area.

Some of the Doctors, Nurses and a site manager. The nurses are both Baba lovers and
very happy they have been posted at Meherabad.

The large and airy bays allow comfortable social distancing for the patients.