Hindu temple fills cracks in care: LIVERMORE: Clinics are run by doctors who volunteer time to serve community's health needs. - Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)

Byline: Meera Pal

Aug. 18--Dr. Kishore Narra began volunteering at the Livermore Shiva-Vishnu Temple's biweekly health clinic almost four years ago as a way to give back to his community.

The doctor of internal medicine, also a long-time devotee at the temple, said the temple is more a religious landmark. It also is a place for those looking for public services.

'People go to pray, but as a temple, they also have to care for humanity,' Narra said. 'And this is what I can offer.'

Narra and his medical colleagues at the temple have seen people who were falling through the cracks of the American health care system.

Many of the clinic's patients are the elderly parents of Indo-American children who now live in the Tri-Valley area and attend the temple. The parents, who live with their children for months on end, can't afford traditional medicine while in the United States.

'Usually they don't have medical insurance, but have small problems and want to see the doctor,' said Laxshmi Achar, the temple's health center coordinator.

Since the clinic was established in September 2003, the number of people who stop by every other Saturday for the basic health screenings has steadily increased.

Narra, along with doctors Lakshmi Palagummi, Jijibhoy Patel, Lalitha Vakkalanka and others, make basic diagnostics through blood pressure and heart rate checks, as well as visual inspections of the ear, nose and throat.

All volunteers are California licensed physicians volunteering their personal time, Achar said.

Serving the temple devotees and the community at large is considered a core function of the temple, also known as the Hindu Community and Cultural Center. The cultural center operates under the motto 'Serving God By Serving Humanity.'

The center's Human Services Committee organizes several programs reaching out to the community, ranging from collecting clothes for the needy, toys for children in India and the United States, organizing events at local senior centers, health classes and fund raising for local events and needs, such as community bus shelters.

The temple in Livermore is a large, carved stone building surrounded by tract houses in the Springtown area north of Interstate 580. It is the largest Hindu temple in the Bay Area, and welcomes devotees from most of the East Bay. The next nearest temple is in Fremont.

Temple devotees' efforts to reach out to their neighbors are ongoing, carried out through open houses, health clinics and charitable fund-raisers.

The temple joins with Livermore Rotary to organize a dictionary drive each year; Rotarians and Hindu temple attendees bring the dictionaries to area classrooms.

The temple is also part of the Tri-Valley Interfaith Council, which includes houses of worship from all over the area.

'As long as I've been involved in the Interfaith council, (the temple) has always participated in our programs and our events, the interfaith dialogue, educational opportunities,' said Rabbi Richard Winer of Congregation Beth Emek in Livermore, who also serves as president of the Tri-Valley Interfaith Council.

Winer said the temple has always had an open-door, open-arms policy, which mirrors the Interfaith Council's goals at inclusion.

'As friendly as we are together, it ought to be a model for the rest of the community,' Winer said. 'If we can do that, then we would hope that all the community members would follow that example.'

Meera Pal covers Livermore. Reach her at 925-847-2120 or mpal2@cctimes.com.

Health Advisory Clinic

-- WHEN: Noon to 4 p.m.Saturday Aug. 19

-- WHERE: Hindu Community and Cultural Center, 1232 Arrowhead Ave., Livermore.

-- INFORMATION: 925-449-6255

Copyright (c) 2006, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

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