HO CHI MINH CITY (UCAN): Catholics in the southern dioceses of Vietnam, where the contagious Delta variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus is raging out of control, have been asked to join frontline forces caring for patients in hospitals and isolated areas.
Bishop Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc of Phu Cuong said the pandemic is becoming fiendishly complicated and serious in Binh Duong province, home to numerous industrial zones attracting migrant workers from throughout the country.
Bishop Nguyen said the number of new infections rises substantially day by day, and local hospitals and isolation centres are heavily overloaded and suffering from severe lack of medical personnel.
The bishop said that 141 local priests, seminarians, religious and laypeople set off on August 15 to take care of patients in Tan Uyen, which is stricken by the outbreak.
“Although our volunteers have been wildly enthusiastic about looking after patients for the past two weeks, their service is too small for so big a demand of patients,” he said.
“For the spirit of Christian charity and sharing the government’s heavy responsibility to serve the community, I would like to call on you to join the second wave of volunteers to fight against the pandemic,” Bishop Nguyen said in a letter posted on August 29 in response to requests from provincial officials for more volunteers to support frontline personnel.
The bishop, who heads the Episcopal Commission for Social Communication, said this was an excellent opportunity for Catholics to bear witness to Christian values.
‘We are sent to serve patients with the Catholic spirit—to share society’s onerous duty, meet and bring divine mercy to people in untold misery and black depression’
Father Dominic Nguyen
He said volunteers aged 18 and above were required to have good health, spirit of service and healthcare skills. They will be tested for Covid-19, vaccinated and taught medical skills before setting off to help transport patients to hospitals, care for patients, provide meals at hospitals and other work.
On August 28, some 98 priests, deacons, religious and laypeople from the neighbouring diocese of Xuan Loc volunteered to care for patients at hospitals in Dong Nai province.
“We are sent to serve patients with the Catholic spirit—to share society’s onerous duty, meet and bring divine mercy to people in untold misery and black depression,” the vicar general of the diocese, Father Dominic Nguyen Tuan Anh, told the volunteers, adding that they were to support medical staff, soldiers and militiamen exhausted by the national fight against the pandemic.
Nguyen Quoc Vu, head of the province’s committee for religious affairs, praised the volunteers for “not only living out Christian love and charitable duties but showing their civil duty to the nation.”
On August 20, Father Joseph Tran Hoa Hung, who is in charge of male and female religious in Ho Chi Minh City, called on those aged 20 to 50 to continue giving health care to patients.
The archdiocese has sent 352 religious volunteers to serve at hospitals for Covid-19 patients since late July.
