The first Medical Nursing Volunteer Flagship consists of the daresome nursing team from Kerala departed to assist COVID 19 patients in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra is leading the tally with 2,60,924 total confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 followed by Tamilnadu and Delhi. This has created an acute shortage of medical professionals including qualified nurses. Even qualified nurses are unwilling to do their services, due to unhealthy practices reported in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Pune.

Fr. Benny Nirappel, the Director of Thalassery Social Service Society (TSSS) took the initiative to discuss with the qualified nursing professionals, their parents and the district administration and made necessary arrangements to send a team of nursing volunteers to Maharashtra, from Kerala.

Being the official social development organ of the Archdiocese of Thalassery, the Tellicherry Social Service Society commonly known as TSSS undertook this initiative to coordinate the medical nursing volunteers and arranged their transportation, training, salary and deployed them to various hospitals located in Maharashtra with their personal protection equipment’s., immediately as TSSS came to know that the state of Maharashtra is facing acute shortage of qualified nursing and medical professionals to fight against COVID 19 epidemic disease.

The country has reported 3,11,565 active cases as on July 14, 2020, with Maharashtra leading in the tally followed by Tamilnadu and Delhi. Despite several precautionary and preventive measures, the cases are rising at an unprecedented rate.

Appreciating the courageous move of the nurses, Mar. Joseph Pamplani, Auxiliary Bishop of Archidiocese of Thalassery referred to them as ‘Pride of Kerala’. He said, “amidst COVID 19 war front, you dare to cross the interstate border with humanitarian courage and shown the national brotherhood spirit, to take care of our COVID patients. You and your parents expressed the chivalry mission spirit, where all the others frightened and stepped back to take care of these deprived patients. I appreciate the parents of these nurses, who motivated their children to go to this COVID 19 war front to treat the patients located at the far-flung area across Maharashtra by risking their life”.

Auxiliary Bishop while flagging off the first batch of TSSS Medical Batch of Nursing Volunteers to Maharashtra, informed that the honorable District Collector of Sathara, Mr. Shekhar Singh requested Fr. Tomy Kariyilakkulam, the Director of BEL AIR Hospital and we took this initiative to start this mission to help those states who were not getting adequate qualitative healthcare professionals, to fight against the pandemic epidemic disease COVID 19. “We thought it was a noble social responsibility, since our Kerala nursing resources continuously profess their humanitarian approach in their service record, wherever they go across the globe,” added Auxillary Bishop.

TSSS has ensured that every nursing volunteers will have sufficient PPE kits and other necessary COVID preventive equipment’s to ensure their safety. The nurses were provided food supplies, top-notched accommodation and transportation arrangements with a salary of INR. 30000/- per volunteers. Fr. Benny Nirappel and his team from the Thalassery Social Service Society attained the vision in assistance with both Government’s and the Parish bodies of the Arch Diocese of Thalassery. TSSS also provides continuous support to their homely aged parents to pay tribute to their willingness in this mission.

During the flag off ceremony conducted at St. Mary’s ground Taliparamba with the presence of Fr. Benny Nirappel, the Director of TSSS and Fr. Philip Kaviyil, Director of Sandeshabhan Thalassery and Fr. Abraham Ponatt, Parish priest of the Taliparamba Forane., honorable chief guest Mar. Joseph Pamplani expressed his kind regards and wholehearted appreciation to the parents of these nurses, who dare to send their daughters for this mission. Bishop blessed them with prayers.

Mar. Joseph Pamplani, Auxi. Bishop of the Archdiocese of Thalassery expressed his kind regards and gratitude to Mr. TV Subhash, Hon. District Collector of Kannur district and Mrs. Mercy EP, the Additional District Magistrate of Kannur, Kerala and Mr. Shekhar Singh, Hon. District Collector of Sathara in Maharashtra, and the state governments of Kerala and Maharashtra for their kind support in this regard.

Hon. Director of Thalassery Social Service Society Fr. Benny Nirappel, who had a good network with the nursing community, shared his vision to further spread this initiative to send nursing crew across the world as his mission, to fight against COVID 19, where the services find shortages.