Movement toward the edge!

Two tree pie birds perched in the same tree, moved towards the edge of the branches as far as they could go! In fact the second bird flew towards tree edge almost by choice it looks like. 

I watched this sight yesterday after hearing about Dr Anton from Madurai going to Kotagiri Mission Hospital to help with orthopaedic surgery and Dr Tony from Kotagiri going to Madhepura Christian hospital to help with neurosurgery. 

These movements which take place between mission hospitals bring a message of hope. There is more awareness about having  to give  attention to hospitals situated in the edges, where the disadvantaged people live.

The birds choose the edges in the branches so that it is easier to fly away when needed. It has more to do with self preservation. 

But what we witnessed last week with highly specialised surgeons moving to the hospitals which exist in the edges of human habitation is a wake up call to shift our attention to the periphery, where lot more is needed. 

For the first time, the NEETI AYOG has come out with a classification of hospitals by including the hospitals located in rural areas sponsored by the voluntary organisations as a special category. 

The time for leaving people living in edges of our society to fend for themselves is over. It is high time,  we bring a focussed attention and planned diversification to include the people living in the edges. They need to be made to feel that hey are worthy of equal attention. 

The Christian hospitals are already active in this movement! Three cheers. They show the way to be active in the edges for greater fullness in service.  

I am aware of a change taking place in the way the Christian mission hospitals interpret their role and responsibility during this COVID season- they are inventing themselves to be community hospitals which relate to the felt needs of the community and adapt to be inclusive in their approach. Thanks to the funding agencies who have come forward to facilitate this transformation. 

The question of distribution of resources surface in discussions more often than before now. In those discussions, I still get a feeling of urban bias. The stories of need and misery of the migrant workers which appear now and then in the media is an indication of how such desperate situations remain subdued from active attention. The bottom of the economic pyramid is so wide and dense that some tinkering here and there in economic planning would never be sufficient. 

The needs of the economically disadvantaged is a national emergency in India. It is yet to catch the attention of those who can lead a mass movement to respond to this distressing situation. 

The farmers are in the streets of Delhi for 200 days now, only a short distance away from the seat of power of the Union government of India. The government is trying to tire them out rather than hear them responsibly and willingly! What a poor testimony to the role and attitude of  of a democratically elected government! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)