Catholic Groups Support Bangladesh’s Poor During Pandemic

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Ramesh Majumder was hit hard when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Bangladesh in March last year.

The 42-year-old Hindu, father of two, originally from Dacope region in Khulna district, runs a grocery store to support his family. Due to the pandemic and the resulting lockdown, sales have fallen dramatically. He was forced to work as an irregular day laborer to support his family of four.

Suddenly he suffered from severe chest pain and one of his children fell ill with a fever. He visited various public and private hospitals in Khulna, but admission was refused due to the excessive number of patients.

He traveled to the neighboring district of Jessore and was admitted to the Catholic Hospital in Fatima. Thanks to his dedicated services, he and his child recovered within a week and returned home.

The 70-bed Fatima Hospital, founded by Xaverian missionaries in 1958, is one of the oldest Catholic hospitals in Bangladesh.

“Fatima Hospital gave us hope and offered the necessary treatment when we were in total despair. I am grateful to the hospital authority, ”Majumder told UCA News.

We received food aid from Caritas and a microcredit loan during this difficult time

With the family financially devastated, his wife sought help from Caritas Khulna, the regional office of the Catholic charity.

“We received food aid from Caritas and a microcredit loan during this difficult time. Caritas staff also advised us how to protect ourselves from the pandemic by using masks, disinfectants and soap and avoiding crowded areas, ”said Majumder.

Across Bangladesh, Caritas has reached millions of people with aid and awareness campaigns through its eight regional offices, said James Gomes, Director (Programs) of Caritas Bangladesh.

“From the start, Caritas Bangladesh has raised awareness about the epidemic. We have distributed over a million masks and disinfection items to people. Through 80 projects under the central and regional offices, we have provided aid and cash worth 350 million taka ($ 4.13 million) to 56,000 households, ”Gomes told UCA News.

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Gomes added that Caritas is designing and launching innovative projects to support vulnerable people whose livelihoods and incomes have been hit hard during the pandemic.

World Vision, a leading Christian humanitarian organization, has helped 2.05 million people, including 776,903 children in Bangladesh, with various types of assistance to fight the pandemic.

Church-based medical, secular and youth organizations as well as Christian education institutes have also taken on the task of supporting the poor and needy.

According to the Bangladesh Christian Medical Association (CMAB), the 20 Christian hospitals operated by Catholics and Protestants continued to serve people and most have collaborated with the government to provide dedicated Covid-19 services, including testing , references and quarantine.

“Christian hospitals and clinics are located on the outskirts, so the Church has used them to educate the local population while serving them. We have provided various health and safety materials and allocated funds to each of the eight dioceses for this purpose, ”Lily A. Gomes, secretary of the Catholic Bishops‘ Health Care Commission, told UCA News.

The commission helped prepare brochures and banners as well as organize seminars to help people become aware of how to deal with issues during and after the pandemic, she said.

“Our annual plan includes initiatives to provide psychosocial support to people with Covid-19,” Gomes added.

Since movement is a problem, we have tried to provide online service

Dr Edward Pallab Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Catholic Physicians Association, said the group has launched phone and online services for people.

“We have worked to raise awareness through various means. Since movement is a problem, we have tried to provide services online. Families and loved ones can be in the know and stay safe as we continue to contact them, ”Rozario told UCA News.

While Catholic dioceses have raised funds and provided support to the poor, Christian youth groups based in parishes across the country have been at the forefront of raising awareness in their communities.

Sandeep Barmon, 34, a Catholic from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in the Diocese of Dinajpur, said he was grateful to the local youth group for raising awareness about the pandemic.

“When Covid-19 struck, local villagers did not know what to do. Members of youth organizations visited people and made banners with instructions on using masks, soaps and disinfectants and advising them to avoid going out unnecessarily. They really did great things, ”Barmon told UCA News.

Bangladesh has recorded 784,000 cases and 12,228 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to government data.

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