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| Fr.Varghese Palathinkal, Sister Silvy, Mar Kundukulam Memorial Research & Rehabilitation Complex, Peringandoor, Thrissur |
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With loving care they look after the AIDS patients. Nuns of the Nirmala ‘Dasi’ Society founded by the late Arch Bishop of Thrissur, Mar Joseph Kundukulam provide loving care for the destitute and discarded AIDS patients in the rehabilitation centre at Peringandoor, Thrissur
The centre, named after the late Arch Bishop started functioning on his 1st death anniversary on April 26, 1999. During the 3 years, it was able to look after about 300 patients, most of them from Thrissur and neighbouring districts. While 150 of them died, at present there are 40 patients.
In addition to medication to improve the health, the centre provides counseling to the patients and their relatives. The effort is to make the relatives realize that HIV positive person is not to be shunned socially. An indication of the success of counseling is that now many patients are able to go back to their homes after treatment at the centre.
While Fr.Varghese Palathinkal is the Director of the centre, Sister Silvy is in charge of the AIDS patients. The biggest difficulty they find is not in looking after the patients but providing a decent burial / cremation to the dead. Many neighbours used to oppose the use of Public Crematorium for the purpose. However, there is better cooperation from the people of Athani and Peringandoor now.
Courtesy: Biju.C.P and Dinakaran Kombilath, Mathrubhumi Aarogya Masika, December 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
