OUR CALL AND RESPONSE TO HEALING

The ministry of healing is a work of compassion and love. When Jesus heals people, he is communicating God’s forgiving love that heals and makes people whole. We are asked to do the same. This is illustrated in the parables of the prodigal son, of the lost sheep and coin (Luke 15) and of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). The Samaritan manifests his love by picking up the wounded man, dressing his wounds with oil and making sure that he will be nursed back to health in the inn. This is the substance of love. That is why caring for the sick becomes an important element in the process of proclaiming and realizing the Reign of God. It goes together with the option for the poor (Mt 25:31-46). Healing, thus, is a constituent part of our mission.

Our Congregation, implanted in the culture and context of India, has taken its ministry in the field of health care as primary one, since fundamentally it is nothing but promoting life in its various dimensions. We are well aware that ‘The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus ‘message.’ Pope John Paul II explains, “The Church considers service to the sick as an integral part of its mission.”

In solidarity with the suffering, to work for a healthy society and to contribute towards a just society

Our Strategies

• Health education as a preventive care
  Health education is the core of a healthy living. We, therefore, give adequate thrust in the area of education at all levels in grassroots, schools and colleges and to the people where we work.
• Health care to the poor
  Our health care ministry is made in favour of the poor, especially towards rural areas and backward and vulnerable groups. In the socio - economic - political context of India, our health care is diverted to the poor.
• Community health care
  We go beyond the curative and preventive aspects of healthcare. We concentrate on the community health care. It is enabling people to exercise collectively their rights and responsibilities to attain and maintain their health. We work towards increasing people’s consciousness and awareness building and health education.
• Collaboration is essential
  Collaboration, networking, tie up and advocacy in health issues are the need of the hour. Hence we collaborate in different levels: within the Church institutions, NGOs, Government structures, etc.
• Promotion of alternative systems of health care
  We have a wealth of traditional systems of medicine in homeopathy, ayurveda, unani, siddha, etc. Other systems include naturopathy, acupressure and acupuncture. There are many effective home and herbal remedies. There is also some health practices. These traditional systems are encouraged in our centres.
• Promoting the holistic health care
  Health means, the satisfaction of one’s basic needs, harmonious relationships with one another, nature and God.Any health assistance given to a person, in order to be effective, it has to be integral and holistic. Our health care recognizes the physiological, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the person.

Our Orientations

• To make quality health services available, affordable and accessible to all especially in the under served areas
• To be helpful in the preventive, diagnostic, curative and rehabilitated activities related to leading health problems
• To achieve the highest possible level of health
• To enable our target people to lead a happy life by freeing from physical, mental sickness
• To provide first aid and emergency treatment at homes in the villages
• To join hands with the voluntary organization, government, other congregations and like minded volunteers and groups
• To create new horizons by deepening our values in a world of commercialized health care
• To grow in up to the knowledge about by attending meetings, seminars, social forum and ongoing higher studies

Our regular activities in our health centres

• Promoting preventive measures by the way of health education (in our schools, orphanages, villages, parishes, institutions, formation houses, etc), and health camps (blood donation, AIDS awareness, eye check up, diabetes check up, asthma check up, arthritis check up)
• Operation of mobile clinics in the rural villages
• Conducting outreach programmes (awareness - building through seminars, rallies, campaign, etc: camps: special programs - like disaster management, implementing the policies/programs of the Government and Catholic Church in India)
• Collaborating with the NGO’s and Governmental organizations
• Treating the elderly and bedridden patients at home
• Teaching alternative medicines like homeo and herbal remedies
• Giving concession for the poor and medicine at free of cost for the deserved
• Setting up different facilities and upgrading the existing facilities
• Appointing qualified professionals for the respective posts in the centers

In African Countries, people are dying from starvation and disease every minute. We may not be able to help everyone, but with every prayer, with every medical mission team we are able to send, we are making a difference in the lives of the people in African Countries. We may not be able to do all that we would like to do, but we can make a difference. As a sign of helping our affected brethren in Africa, we have started working in the countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana. Our sisters in these places offer their skills as doctors, nurses, technicians and health workers.

Our sisters started working here from July 2006 onwards. St.Martin de Pores Hospital at Eikwe, was established in 1959 by the Archdioceses of Cape Coast and having operated in the mid 1930’s as a maternity home and orphanage. It has grown to become a general Hospital with a bed complement of 175, providing a range of specialized and other services.

Vision

To provide high quality health care in the most effective and innovative manner, specific to the needs of the communities we serve and at all times acknowledge the dignity of the patient.

Goal

To strengthen and improve on the health status and the spiritual well being of all people especially those living in the Eikwe sub district through:

• The provision of promotive, preventive, curative and pastoral care services
• The provision of holistic, affordable, essential and quality health care
• These services will be rendered in a humane, efficient, and effective manner by well trained and highly motivated personnel.

Services provided

Services areas are ranging from clinical, preventive, curative and health support. The provision of Obstetrics and Gynecology services is one of the mainstay of the hospital.

List of our health centres

Conclusion

Over the course of the past years, we have witnessed profound changes in the provision of heath care services in our Congregation. It is not an exaggeration to say that working in a health care setting today is a fiercely competitive. To remain competitive, we may have to make some changes in the way we do things and get actively involved in advocacy. To advocate effectively and to achieve a strong and respected Charism and the goal of our Congregation, we have to know the values, the costs and benefits of our services.

Our work in prevention of illness and promotion of health among the rural population is significant. As we look into the future, we think prophetic role of nurses needs to be reiterated. We have an important mandate. That is to bring the healing presence of Christ to the sick, down trodden and marginalized. May the Divine Healer Jesus bless our concerted efforts in the healing mission of the Church to create a better society.