Even the dead body needs respect

New Delhi, 4^th July, 2013: Moderating a session organized by All India Radio in association with Heart Care Foundation of India, Padma Shri and Dr. B C Roy National Awardee Dr. K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India said that death is inevitable but is the most traumatic experience a family can undergo.  Practicing compassion-based medicine as well as etiquette-based medicine by medical professionals can make all the difference. At the time of death, the family should be communicated properly:

·  If the chances of survival are practically nil, the family should be offered options for a second opinion, shifting the patient to his/her home or shifting the patient to a room with spiritual atmosphere.

·  Doctor should never say that there is no cure for this illness.  They can only say I have no cure for this illness or my pathy does not  have a cure for this illness.

·  Artificial prolongation of death is not a part of any Sanskara or  Vedic Philosophy.

The seminar was organized at All India Radio Studio and the panelists included Dr. V.K. Chauhan from Homoeopathy and Dr. Preeti Chabbra, Ayurveda Physician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr Laxmi Bajpai Station Director AIR Delhi Kendra.

Highlights

·        Death is not an instant process but takes time.

·        Stoppage of heart does not mean that person is dead.

·        After the heart and respiration have stopped, it may take 10 to 48 minutes for the whole process of death to complete.  During this period, therefore, death can be made reversible by using proper revival diagnostic.

As per Vedic text, the first to go in the process of death is speech, second to go is listening, third to go is memory, fourth to go is brain and the last to go is Tejas

In a short survey done by the Heart Care Foundation of India, the following were observed:-

a)   Public wants a prayer/mourning room in the hospital where the death of the patient should be declared to the relations.

(b)    After the death of their family member, people expect a meeting between the treating doctors and the administrators to know all about the cause of death and precautions to be taken to prevent similar catastrophe for other family members. They also like to know if any special precautions need to be taken for cremation purpose to prevent spread of any communicable disease from the dead body to the human being.

(c)   As per Bhagavad Gita, whatever your thoughts are at the time of death will decide your future birth.  The following have been suggested to make your flow of thoughts positive at the time of death: Day time or create day-like light in the night; chanting of OM or Gayatri Mantra or any other religious prayer at the time of death especially if the death is occurring after full moon. If the death is taking place at home, then a yagna can be performed.

(d)    Always allow relations to be near the patient during the last time and they would like to know the last wishes of the dying person.

(e)   A dead body is never a source of infection to others unless it is infected with a communicable disease.  Never force people to cremate the body without performing proper rituals unless you are really serious that the dead body can be a source of infection to others.