Chernivtsi, March 26, 2020
Photo: news.churh.ua
The primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, and the founder of the charitable Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos fund, the People’s Deputy Vadim Novinsky, delivered medical equipment and protective suits to the children’s hospital in Chernivtsi yesterday.
“The primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church brought doctors a ventilator and personal protective equipment. The hospital previously did not have such a device,” the Information-Education Department of the UOC reports.
The hospital currently has 14 patients suffering from the coronavirus. The new ventilator allows for 2 patients to be treated at the same time. 100 reusable, protective water-repellant suits and 100 glasses for medical personnel were also donated, according to Deputy Novinsky’s press service.
The equipment was paid for by donations from the faithful of the UOC. During his conversation with the staff, His Beatitude noted the need for prayer in these difficult times.
“Today it’s the coronavirus; next time it will be something different… We need everything in this struggle: We have to observe sanitary standards and we have to pray, because this disease afflicts not only the body—it afflicts the soul of man,” Met. Onuphry stated.
He also urged people not to despair, to observe hygienic requirements during the days of the quarantine (currently until April 24 in Ukraine), and to pray for all medical staff.
“In the difficult circumstances that we are experiencing today, the best human qualities are being manifested: love and help for our neighbor. It is very important for us Orthodox Christians, along with the requirements of sanitation and hygiene, to pray in order to overcome despair. We especially pray for our doctors who are at the forefront of this problem,” His Beatitude said.
“Together and with God’s help, we will overcome this problem. But let us remember that the main vaccine against the virus is prayer,” Deputy Novinsky commented.
Met. Onuphry has also called upon all monasteries of the UOC to prepare to receive coronavirus patients if necessary.
