ASIA/INDIA - The Archbishop of Delhi: "Faith is alive in the midst of the pandemic" and Christian communities help patients

Monday, 10 May 2021 healthcare pandemic coronavirus solidarity caritas charity

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New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - "Only faith can console and make people go forward in the current tragedy", says the Archbishop of Delhi, Mgr. Anil Couto to Agenzia Fides, stating that "we live this terrible suffering with faith in Providence". "The very distressing situation, very uncertain for everyone, is a time of pain, suffering and anxiety for everyone, because we do not know how we can save ourselves from the infection", says Archbishop Couto. Three nuns have died in his diocese, he reports, as well as several active lay people. The Holy Family Hospital - run by the archdiocese of Delhi - has also faced an "overwhelming number of cases and has to face a constant lack of oxygen", he reports. The current health crisis in India is so catastrophic due to the lack of adequate health protocols and the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions by government authorities. Infections broke out because we did not adopt enough precautions. Therefore, I think we are now paying the price".
The Archbishop highlights that during the recent elections health guidelines were not followed in some States; In addition, the federal government allowed a Hindu festival (the Kumbh Mela) to be held as well as sporting events such as cricket matches, which attracted millions, neglecting health measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. At this critical stage, Christian communities and churches across the nation are doing their best to help people in need. Recently, the Archdiocese of Goa-Daman, in western India, transformed its "St. Joseph Vaz" Spiritual Renewal Center in the old city of Goa into a makeshift hospital for Covid patients, said to Fides Fr. Savio Fernandes, involved in the Caritas of Goa. The Center will serve as a self-quarantine site during this coronavirus pandemic period, with 40 beds, equipped with oxygen facilities. The Center has already formed and organized a group of nurses and doctors who could serve as medical staff. The initiative comes after Archbishop Filippe Neri Ferrao of Goa-Daman had urged religious congregations and local communities to respond to the health emergency. "Our institutions are for people. We are trying to set up self-quarantine rooms. We have two doctors available. We are now looking for more nurses. Most of them, including retired nurses, are employed by the government", the Archbishop said. The Center will also take care of meeting the basic food needs for patients. The "St. Joseph Vaz" Spiritual Renewal Center was inaugurated in 2014 as a place for prayer, reflection, spirituality. Meanwhile, the solidarity commitment of the Christian communities towards the indigent continues. In the southern State of Karnataka, some Christian organizations have started a food program for people affected by the pandemic. The "CoronaCare" network brings together Christians in Bangalore, the capital of the State of Karnataka, six important organizations including "Hope", "Breads", "Echo", "Aifo", "Good Quest Foundation" and "Orione Seva". They are organizations managed by Claretian religious, the Salesians of Don Bosco, Norbertini Fathers, Servants of Divine Providence, and young Christian professionals. "The network, launched on April 25, reaches more than a thousand people a day with food packages, thanks to volunteers who go around the city and distribute food in the morning and in the evening", explains Father George Kannanthanam, founder of "Hope" and National Secretary of the "Catholic Health Association of India".
Among other initiatives in favor of the sick, the "Calvary Temple", a large evangelical Christian church in Hyderabad, in the State of southern Telangana, has transformed its premises into an isolation center for the treatment of coronavirus patients. The structure built has 300 beds, of which 50 beds with oxygen, providing treatments, medicines and food for free. As of May 8, India has reported the highest number of deaths ever recorded for Covid-19 in a single day, with over 400,000 cases, while the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic has exceeded 21.9 million. According to observers, the real number of Covid cases and deaths is likely to be far higher than official numbers. (SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 10/5/2021)