India’s Christian hospitals,
doctors in the forefront against coronavirus
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| A firefighter disinfects a street in New Delhi (AFP) |
Christian hospitals and healthcare centres in India have
re-organized their wards, staff, and equipment to cooperate with the government
in addressing the Covid-19 challenge.
By Robin Gomes
Over 1,000 hospitals and 60,000 inpatient beds guaranteed by
India’s Christian institutes, hospitals and clinics are ready and equipped to
provide medical care to the country’s Covid-19 patients, said Indian priest
Father Mathew Abraham, President of the Cristian Coalition for Health
(CCH).
“Christian communities in India are strongly and
traditionally engaged in social works in the field of education, healthcare and
assistance to the poor and needy," said the Redemptorist priest, who is
also the Director-General of the Catholic Health Association of India
(CHAI).
Solidarity with nation, government
Speaking to Vatican’s Fides news agency, he said that he
sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25, expressing
the solidarity of the CCH with the efforts of the nation and the government in
facing the challenge of Covid-19.
The coalition offered all its facilities available in the
country, where a 21-day complete lockdown is in place until April
14.
Christian Coalition for Health
The CCH brings together healthcare facilities managed by
different denominations of Christians in India. It includes the Catholic
Health Association of India (CHAI), the Christian Medical Association of India
(CMAI), Emmanuel Health Association (EHA) and the Christian Medical Colleges
(CMC) of Vellore and Ludhiana.
Together, the coalition accounts for over 1000 hospitals and
over 60,000 inpatient beds.
In his letter, Father Abraham told Modi that Christian
hospitals are already working with local government healthcare officials in the
fight against the pandemic. “They will work their utmost and their best for the
health and wellbeing of the people of this nation, to fight this pandemic,” he
said.
In particular, the healthcare centres situated in remote
areas "are preparing handmade masks or plastic coveralls as protective
equipment for their health workers", the priest said.
CHAI, the largest of the CCH members, on 26 February
launched a multi-lingual online helpdesk called “Corona Care”, to assist people
suffering stress and panic due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
At a high-level meeting with faith-based and social
organizations on March 30, Modi expressed appreciation and thanked the CCH for
its offer.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
India has a total of 1,965 cases with 50 deaths. The numbers are
rising.
Catholic Health Association of India in numbers
Founded in 1943, CHAI, which operates under the Catholic
Bishops Conference of India, is the largest non-governmental healthcare network
in India. With 3572 healthcare and social service institutions across the
nation, it plays a vital role in India’s healthcare.
It serves more than 21 million patients annually
(approximately 1.5% of India’s 1.3 billion population), most of them poor.
In fact, 80% of CHAI member institutions are located in remote areas across
the country.
The association employs 76,000 health professionals in
various branches of healthcare, such as medicine, surgery, dentistry,
midwifery, pharmacy, psychology, nursing and other allied professions.
Alongside 1000 sister-doctors, 25,000 nurses, 10,000
paramedics, and 15,000 social workers, who work fulltime, there is also a huge
army of employees.
The 5 medical colleges run by CHAI members impart medical
education and training in line with Catholic morals and ethics.
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