EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012

Inactivity kills as many as smoking!

Its official.  Inactivity kills.  A recent article in the Lancet estimates that inactivity now causes the same mortality world-wide as smoking does!

That's 5.3 million deaths per year attributable to the lack of exercise.  5.3 million people dying every year because we are not getting enough exercise.

Is this something that is just plaguing the West?  Hardly. 

India has an estimated 40.9 million cases of diabetes.  We host a mind boggling 118 million cases of hypertension (if all the hypertensives in India formed a country it would be the 11th largest in the world - right after Japan's 127 million).  An estimated 8-10 percent of our above 30 years urban population has coronary heart disease already!  (All figures from Prabhakaran and Singh 2011).  


In the same series, the Lancet calls for physicians to include 'exercise' as one of the vital signs (Khan et al. 2012).  Exercise can no more be seen as a pleasant diversion.  It is clear that it is vital for our health.

In India we are seeing a sea-change in our country's disease profile - and a lot has to do with what we call 'progress.' The WHO now estimates that 53% of deaths in India are now from non-communicable diseases (WHO 2011). One of the key reasons for this increasing burden of disease is our increasingly sedentary lifestyles - combined with the stresses that our ever more aspirational life-styles.  

The tripling of our average per capita income from Rs. 19,040 in 2003 to Rs. 53,331 in 2010 (World Bank 2010) has not resulted in an immediate improvement in urban health outcomes.  In fact, we can argue that   aspirational issues of ‘modernity’ may be contributing to our national epidemic of suicides.  We have seen national rates of suicides increasing from 7.9 to 10.3 per lakh in the last 2 decades (Vijaykumar 2007).  A leading study estimated 187,000 people die of suicide in India each year – with the largest number among youth.  Most sobering of all – a 15 year old male in south India has a 3.5% chance of dying of suicide over a 65 year period (Patel et al. 2012). 

So what are we to do?

Well, we can start by being healthy in body and mind ourselves.  There is no use for death health-care practitioners.  The age old saw of prevention being better that cure is never more true for us today.

Get up and walk.  20 minutes every morning.  Get to bed on time.  Pray.  Spend time with the Lord.  Eat moderately and at the right times.  Model a balanced life of work, worship and leisure.  If we are not able to do this, how can we advise others to so?

The Bible tells us that 'your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own!' (1 Cor. 6.19). Our bodies are very important in God's sight. Paul tells us that "We know the body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (1 Cor. 6.13). What an amazing statement - Jesus Christ is 'for the body!'  Doesn't that liberate us to serve Him through our health-care?  Through our work in restoring and repairing His creation - as well as making sure that these bodies do not fall ill in the first place?

Let us not fall into a platonic trap of seeing only the 'spiritual' as important.  The Christian message that we believe is that Christ is Lord of all. We worship Him not only when we sing songs - but when we have a brisk walk and are good stewards of the beautiful bodies He has graciously given us.  We worship Him when we set our minds on things above - and do not allow ourselves to be conformed by the things of this world, but rather are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12.2).

And we have a task as guardians and promoters of our health in our nation to share these truths with those around us. Can we see a new generation of doctors who step out of being body-mechanics to addressing life-style issues.  A new set of interactions with our patients and neighbours and church-members where we see the Shalom of the Kingdom lived out in every area of our lives - and reap the benefits of health rather than distruction?

Inactivity kills as many as smoking!  The campaign against smoking has world-wide reaped rich dividends in lives saved (though there is still work to be done of course).  Lets get moving!

Missionary doctors in the Himalaya

Challenging words from a missionary doctor couple who have been an inspiration to many of us!

Christian Medical Distinctives

Dr. Santosh Mathew (seated right) sharing the stage with Dr. Manoj Jacob (standing)
and Dr. Lata Mathew at the Whole Person Care plenary workshop (EMFI Conf. 2010)

Dr. Santosh Mathew from Ashok Hospital, Mumbai writes:

The EMFI Conference was a blessing to me personally.

The inspiring messages from Dr Vinod Shah, Rajkumar Ramachandran, Dr. Muralidharan edified me.

Dr. Vinod Shah took a session on Christian Medical distinctives.

Here is a brief synopsis of what he said:

Christian Medical Pracctice is much more than a career or job, it is a calling, a vocation.

When we view Medicine as a Job it causes Weariness and Dehumanization

When we think it is a Career, it causes Professionalization Competition and Neurosis

When we consider it as a Vocation, it Builds knowledge of God and Deep happiness and fulfillment

Another difference lies in the Christian doctor focusing on Healing rather than merely curing. A cured person can be still hurting. Healing goes beyond the disease.

A Christian Doctor has a Patient orientation rather than a professional or a commercial orientation, and this patient orientation is of course subject to what the Christian doctor understands is God’s will. For example a patient may ask for an abortion because she feels it is the best option but the Christian Doctor knows it is against God’s will.

There are three common orientations possible in the way a Doctor looks at a patient:

1. Patient orientation: How can I best help him/her?

2. Professional orientation: How can this patient help me learn the most?

3. Commercial orientation: How can I make the most money out of him?

Christian medicine is not about great performance, rather it is about relevance!!

Christian medical career is about realizing one’s potential not competition with colleagues

Competing with oneself rather with the others.

A Christian doctor is the “master” of time rather than a “slave” of time. One redeems “time” by doing the right thing rather than always doing the “urgent” things.

Good doctoring is not about efficiency/Output. A slave of “time” can be defined as someone who focuses on “output” and forgets the “outcome or impact”.

Attitude to knowledge also differs in a Christian Doctor: Rather than using knowledge as a power tool, He is known for his willingness to share.

He or she uses knowledge to love versus Knowledge for power.

Understanding suffering

Christians believe that suffering is “redemptive”

Indian religions believe that suffering is “punitive”

The Christian God is with us in the pit sharing our pain and suffering.

Attitude to death:

Death is not a defeat for the medical fraternity.

Accepting the praise of patients: A Christian Doctor is prompt in giving the glory to God

Attitude to the unlovely/invisible and the marginalized

A civilized culture is one that looks after the “weak”

• The economically poor
• Socially powerless-women
• Old
• Jobless
• Handicapped
• HIV/AIDS, Leprosy

A civilized society is one that looks after the powerless.

The following are the Christian distinctives in medicine:

1. Having a vocation rather than just a job or a career

2. Healing rather than just curing

3. Having a “patient” rather than a professional or a commercial orientation

4. Doing relevant things rather than exotic things

5. Competing with oneself rather than with others

6. Master of time rather than slave of time.

7. Using “knowledge” as a tool to “love” rather than as a “power "tool.

8. Sees suffering as “redemptive” rather than as “punitive”.

9. Gives the glory to God rather than accepting the praise of patients.

10. Sees “invisible” people

Ranchi Welcome

Welcome to Jharkhand! The EMFI National Conference got on to an excellent start with a spirited tribal dance led using the traditional mandar drum. The dancers sang a song of welcome as the delegates were led to the opening meeting of the EMFI conference.

At the first tea break the welcomes continued! Feet were washed in the traditional way - and many smiles and hugs were shared as we participated in tribal culture - which mirrors the act of our Lord washing his friends' feet!

A new general secretary was welcomed! Dr. Manoj Jacob was welcomed into his new responsibility - along with Manju he takes up the challenge of leading the EMFI movement. It was a privilege to thank God for the work that Dr. Ashok Chacko has done during his 4 year stint - and we are so grateful for what Ashok and Vinita have brought to so many.

We welcomed the Holy Spirit. God spoke powerfully. Through song and word. Through speakers and sharing of testimonies. Through the same thoughts coming over and over again. Intimacy with God. Hearing His call. Sharing the joy of Jesus. Reaching out. Living the abundant life. Seeing God's Kingdom come.

We welcomed new friends - and old! The conference was a time to meet and greet - and talk and fellowship. What a blessing to be with each other. What sweet communion as we shared our thoughts (and some of our sorrows), as we explored dreams and laughed, as we discussed and opened up.

How good it is when brothers live in harmony...

EMFI Ranchi Conference Theme song

EMFI Theme Song: May Thy Kingdom Come

When my heart heaves with your compassion,
When my eyes fill with your tears
When my soul moves with your emotion
They Kingdom come

When I touch the sick with your hands
When my feet run toward your mission
When my being immerses in your Spirit
Thy Kingdom come

May Thy Kingdom come
On earth as it is heaven
May Your will be done
Through me
I surrender all, before your Kingly throne
May thy Kingdom come
May thy Kingdom come

Till we see Your face in each other
Till we love each other as our brother
As our Lord, obeying His one Master
Thy Kingdom come

When we stand adorned in heavenly armour
Joining hands, upholding one another
Marching forth, soldiers for their Saviour
Thy Kingdom come


May Thy Kingdom come
On earth as it is heaven
May Your will be done
Through us
We surrender all, before your Kingly throne
May thy Kingdom come
May thy Kingdom come

(bridge)
Them who know their God
Great things they will do
To extend His Kingdom
To give Him His glory

-Dr. Suneetha Varghese

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A beautiful song written especially for the EMFI National Conference by Dr. Suneetha Varghese. We were led in this inspiring song by Dr. Suneetha and her husband Dr. Sujith Varghese.

The Vargheses are serving at Broadwell Christian Hospital in Fatehpur and report wonderful things taking place there. They will be down to only 2 doctors next month - them! Can someone join them? Lets pray and see God's Kingdom come in Fatehpur - and across our great Nation of India!

Take your candle, go light the world...

The end of an amazing experience of unity and challenge - the whole Ida Scudder Auditorium at CMC Vellore full of light and voices singing together as images of God-honouring medical work were projected... A small taste of heaven.

May your Kingdom come and may your Will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.