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Volunteers pack grocery items to be distributed during the coronavirus pandemic in Ahmedabad, India, April 2, 2020. (CNS photo/Amit Dave, Reuters)
April 2, 2020
Vatican News
Robin Gomes
More than1,000 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).
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.
The CCH brings together health care 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 1,000 hospitals and over 60,000 inpatient beds.
In his letter, Father Abraham told Modi that Christian hospitals are already working with local government health care officials in the fight against the pandemic. “They will work their utmost and their best for the health and well-being of the people of this nation, to fight this pandemic,” he said.
In particular, the health care 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 Feb. 26 launched a multilingual online help desk 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.