Over 1,000 Christian hospitals across India available for COVID-19 treatment

A day after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee offered its hospitals for the treatment of coronavirus patients, the Christian Coalition for Health on Thursday said its over 1,000 hospitals across the country with more than 60,000 beds can be availed for medical services pertaining to the pandemic. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the organisation offered all facilities in Christian hospitals across India for coronavirus treatment.

Fr Dr Mathew Abraham, C.Ss.R, President of the Christian Coalition for Health and Director General of the Catholic Health Association of India, expressed the solidarity of the coalition with the government as it faces the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his letter dated March 26, Abraham stated that the coalition will work in the best way possible for the health and wellbeing of the people of the nation to fight the pandemic.

The Christian Coalition for Health has over 1,000 hospitals with more than 60,000 inpatient beds across the country. The letter, which was also signed by Dr. Priya John, General Secretary Christian Medical Association of India and Dr. Sunil Gokavi, Executive Director Emmanuel Hospital Association, informed the PM that preparations were already underway by the member hospitals to face the challenges posed by the contagious disease.

"Over the past weeks the member organisations have been holding coordinating meetings and webinars to help the hospitals for disaster preparedness for any eventuality of the spread of COVID-19 to the areas where the hospitals are situated," the letter said. "The hospitals are already working with local government healthcare officials in this effort against this pandemic. Member hospitals that are situated in remote areas are preparing handmade masks out of cloth and PPE made out of large plastic bags as protective gear for their healthcare workers," it said. COVID-19 has claimed 16 lives in India so far and the total number of positive cases has reached 694, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)