Peruvian bishops call for
health care for indigenous people
 |
| A house along the Amazon River, Peru |
In a joint statement, the bishops of the Amazon region of
Peru highlight the plight of the indigenous people of the Amazon and call for a
meaningful and adequate response by the Peruvian government.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
The bishops of the Amazon region in Peru have issued a joint
statement calling on the government to establish health strategies appropriate
to the indigenous and rural reality of the Amazon.
The eight-point statement, published on the website of the
Pan-American Church Network (REPAM) on 23 April, touched on important issues
faced by the people living in the Amazon area, such as social inequality, poor
healthcare and poverty.
Call for care for the vulnerable
In the statement, the Peruvian bishops recognize the efforts
of the government in the fight against coronavirus. They however note that
“social inequalities leave the weakest unprotected, making them more vulnerable
to Covid-19.”
In this regard, the bishops called the attention of the
government to the plight of the thousands of people who have migrated from
rural areas in search of work due to poverty. Many of them are “living in
overcrowded conditions on the outskirts of the cities and have become victims
of exclusion by the state with poor health coverage, which is more evident in
the face of the pandemic,” the statement read.
There are also some indigenous people of the Amazon who went
to work in agricultural regions on the coast and are temporarily stuck there
due to the pandemic. Many of them cannot return to their communities as they no
longer have an economic income. The bishops called on the government to support
them in returning to their communities following the necessary precautionary
health measures against coronavirus.
Another affected group, the bishops noted, are the “many
poor people who do not have access to government benefits because they were not
included in the country’s census.”
Suitable health care response
In the light of the difficult realities facing the
indigenous people of the Amazonian region, the bishops call on the government
to provide “emergency health strategy appropriate to the indigenous and rural
reality of the Amazon.” This should take into account the “cultural
diversity, existing heterogeneity and indigenous knowledge,” and ensure food
and hygiene products to confront the pandemic.
The Church
The prelates encouraged the people of God to strengthen the
domestic Church in every home as the “family is the basis of society and the
believing community.” They also enjoined the people to live this Easter season
in solidarity with the vulnerable by complying with the directives given by
health authorities to stem the spread of coronavirus.
To contribute to efforts against the pandemic, the bishops
announced that they would make available some of the Church’s physical spaces
to health authorities. The Church is also offering human and economic resources
to alleviate the crisis.
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