Interface meeting with Caritas Stakeholders – 2nd Wave of Covid

Considering the gravity and intensity with which the 2^nd wave of covid 19 was spreading, Caritas India on behalf of the Catholic church of India began intervening to supplement and complement the health system by making available our church based facilities and infrastructure as extension units of treatment centres in collaboration with different hospitals. Covid being a health crisis and more so a pandemic has prompted Caritas India to put to use her given expertise in reaching out to the ailing population. Caritas India has been the social arm of the Catholic church and our social teachings missions us to reach in distress. This indeed has been our motivation and pledge in our pursuit to aid the vulnerable and the affected.

Since the hospitals were flooded with patients and with a lack of beds, medical equipments as well as human resources, Caritas India started facilitating in making centres available for covid positive patients to be treated and taken care of, through the presence of volunteer caregivers.

Our intervention is being made possible by the numerous institutions and hospitals that have been investing their countless hours to address the ailing population. This prompted Caritas India to organize an Interface for the first time with the different stakeholders who are carrying out the covid operations on the field.

On June 11, 2021, we organized a virtual online meet with nearly 135 institutions attended by doctors, department heads, Hospital directors and administrators as well as our diocesan directors. The purpose was to create an open and interactive platform for our stakeholders to express, understand, learn and exchange information, knowledge and also address the ongoing changes and the evolving scenario due to Covid.  It was indeed a very enthused ambience with many suggestions to improvise our health operations.

As of date, our covid operations are spread across 18 states. There are 28 first-level treatment centres and 58-second level treatment centres, with nearly 3639 patients registered. Caritas India endeavours to reach the peripheries and make provisions available with the support of our collaborators, benefactors and well-wishers.