CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Krishna Medical Relief

As part of the total and comprehensive disaster relief package that ISKCON is capable of deploying, this branch of Krishna Disaster Relief is most significant.

I see this as a perfect way to engage the many Indian doctors and other medical professionals that make up a large part of ISKCON’s congregation. Obviously, this will take some strong leadership within our Indian congregation, but nevertheless, if there is a will, there is a way. Compared to all the really difficult things that mankind has accomplished, this is actually simple.

I even once saw an ad for an entire field hospital for sale. Of all places, this ad ran in the notorious Soldier of Fortune magazine. While reading the classifieds where this ad was placed, I was able to see this aspect of Krishna Disaster Relief in a new light.

Anyhow, the concept of Krishna Disaster Relief setting up an emergency field hospital is completely feasible and well within our sphere of capabilities. What other religious group, besides the Seventh Day Adventist, have so many doctors and other medical professionals as members?

The field hospital I am referring to can be stored in a truck or building—just as the Denver temple stores its Ratha-yatra cart in a storage van. In the same way that devotees come once a year and assemble the cart, during the right kind of disaster, devotees could position and assemble this field hospital.

Again, this is my idea of Lord Krishna coming to the rescue. Not every disaster we respond to will require the deployment of every tool that Krishna Disaster Relief has in its disaster relief bag. But some will. Just imagine that for a moment.