Rome (Fides Service) - “Heath structures in Africa are not subsidised by national institutions and they have great economic difficulty in meeting the needs of a people for whom poverty and need are the order of the day ” says Brother Leopold Gnami in Roma for a Meeting of St John of God Hospitaller Brothers bursars at the general House.
This is the first time that all the provincial bursars come together and the objective of the meeting is to discuss economic changes which have greater impact with regard to the testimony of the Order’s charisma and to identity ways to respond adequately to the challenges of the times.
The Order is searching for a point of encounter with the world economic reality and ways to bear witness to the St John of God charisma coherently and assiduously despite the different economic situations in the countries in which the Brothers are present in 269 structures, mostly homes for old people, the disabled, psychiatric rehabilitation centres, health-social services in 47 countries.
Hospitaller Brothers are present in Africa in 18 countries (Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zambia) with various health structures organised and funded by missionary collections taken by the Order. Only recently has the situation begun to improve with recognition of St John of God Hospital in Afagnan (Togo) as the general area hospital and the stipulation of an agreement between the hospital complex in Tanguietà (Benin) and the local university for the formation of students in specialisation courses. (AP) (30/10/2003 Fides Service; lines:25 words:286)