By Matters India Reporter
Panchgani, July 9, 202: A group of health workers from Tellicherry archdiocese in Kerala has won praises for their dedicated services among coronavirus victims in a Maharashtra district.
“The district collector and other officers are highly impressed with their work,” says Father Tomy Kariyilakulam, director Bel Air Hospital, a Red Cross Society of India institution managed by the church at Panchgani in Satara district of Maharashtra.
The member of Missionary Congregation of Blessed Sacrament told Matters India on July 9 that 36 nurses have come on deputation from Kerala to work in various government hospitals in the district.
The 54-year-old priest, popularly known as Father Tomy, said the Bel Air hospital trained the Kerala nurses’ team in Covid care before deputing them to various hospitals.
District Collector Shekhar Singh had visited the priest’s hospital that has set apart 75 of their 200 beds for Covid patients.
The collector was “very impressed with the dedication of our nurses and requested us to get more nurses to work in government hospitals,” the priest explained.
According to Father Tomy, nurses working in government hospitals in Satara “are scared and don’t give proper care to patients. They don’t go near them. Our nurses are doing very good services. Doctors and local community are very happy.”
The Kerala nurses were sent by the social service society of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Tellicherry on June 20.
Father Tomy said the local cable news channels in Satara have telecast interviews with the Kerala nurses. “Two private medical colleges have asked us for nurses,” he added.
The priest says the Kerala nuns have faced “huge challenges such as the non-cooperative class 4 staff who are even drunk especially at nights.”
Other problems include non-appearances of drivers to pick the nurses from their places of stay to go for duty. “They also reported of some doctors not going near patients,” he added.
While seeing the team off at St Mary’s Church ground in Taliparamba town in Kannur district, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry told them that they are “the brave children of Kerala.”
Hailing them as the “pride of Kerala,” the bishop applauded them for coming forward to provide proper care to Covid patients when others have backtracked out of fear. “You are the best example of nursing fellowship,” he added.
Bishop Pamplany also thanked Father Tomy for ensuring decent remuneration and proper safety for the Kerala team. “The government has also assured our team free accommodation and meals,” he added.
The bishop also thanked District Collector of Kannur T V Subhash who made the arrangements for the Kerala team to go to Satara, some 820 km north of Tellicherry.
Those present at the sendoff were social service society director Father Benny Nirappel, Sandesha Bhavan director Father Philip Kaviyil and St Mary’s Forane Church vicar Father Abraham Ponattu.