Brazil: Pope Francis Hospital Ship treats Covid patients in Amazonia

Bishop Bernardo Bahlmann distributes medical supplies from the ship

The Pope Francis Hospital Ship is bringing medical equipment and assistance to coronavirus-hit communities along the Amazon river, the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) reports.

Brother Joel Sousa, from the ship's medical team said: "This ship has already worked miracles, bringing healing and hope to river populations." With the current emergency, he said there is even more need for their life-saving work.

The Pope Francis Hospital Ship has been sailing on the Amazon River for a year now, delivering medical aid and assistance to around 700,000 people, many of them from indigenous communities - in Brazil's Amazon Rainforest.

Experts are warning that while deforestation in the Amazon rainforests continues, the lives of indigenous people are at greater risk as the mortality rate from the coronavirus is already double that of Brazil's population.

Their situation is exacerbated due to lack of access to decent medical care and sheer distance from the nearest intensive care units.

In an interview published on the CELAM website, Brother Sousa said the medical and logistical team aboard the ship has been reorganized to specifically fight the pandemic.

He said the crew is committed to raising awareness of Covid-19 and providing information to the local populations and offers on-the-spot first-stage outpatient treatment.

"We are dealing mainly with flu-like symptoms and mild cases of Covid-19," he said, adding that "the doctors carry out the consultations, while we dedicate ourselves to the distribution of medicines."

Among the crew of the 32 metre-long boat, there are 23 doctors, nurses, paramedics, chemists and medical researchers. The ship has consulting rooms, an operating theatre, a laboratory for testing and diagnosis, a pharmacy and a vaccination centre. It is equipped to carry out X-Rays, mammograms, echo-cardiograms and specialist medical visits like ophthalmology and dentistry.

The initiative was set up and promoted by Bishop Bernardo Bahlmann of Obidos in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, together with the religious of the Fraternity of St Francis of Assisi in the Providence of God, who run a hospital in Rio de Janeiro.

The Pope Francis set sail in July 2019 and since then it has provided much-needed help and care to numerous municipalities and communities along the Amazon River.

Pope Francis donated an ultrasound machine and sent a message of encouragement when the boat undertook its maiden journey.

In a letter to crew and promoters of the ship, the Pope reminded them "the Church is called "to be a 'field hospital', welcoming everyone, without distinction," and he noted that, with this initiative, the Church now also presents itself as a "hospital on water."

"Like Jesus, who appeared walking on water, calmed the storm and strengthened the disciples' faith, this boat will bring spiritual comfort and serenity to the concerns of needy men and women, abandoned to their fate," the Pope wrote.

The funds for the construction of the ship were made available by the State after it was awarded compensation for collective damage by Shell Chimica and BASF SA following an environmental accident that killed 60 people and caused considerable damage.

LINK

CELAM - https://prensacelam.org/