Healthcare
Putting ‘care’ back into ‘healthcare’ after COVID-19 – a reflection
September has begun and, with it, the fall. Sitting here in Staten Island, I am thinking of the seasons that have ended. I am able to ‘see’ the spring and summer seasons better than I could in the chaos of the recent past. The reason is a long-needed week away at a Christian retreat which…
Read MoreThe ‘other’ suffering caused by the coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging for over seven months now. It has directly killed over 800,000 people and, indirectly, caused massive losses to people who are mostly unseen. While I do not have the figures for this ‘collateral damage’, I have no doubt that it is many times more than the 800,000 deaths. Vulnerable…
Read MoreBeing compassionate without burning out
True Christian healthcare is compassionate and comprehensive. It is centred on Jesus and his heart to heal the whole person – body, mind and spirit. As Christian doctors we try to keep this at the centre of our medical practice. But often we do not know how to take care of ourselves with the result…
Read MoreCreative and practical ways to help people in poor communities respond to COVID-19
En Français, Pусский, Español As I write, we will be living in a wide variety of situations. We may be at the front line, exhausted and overworked. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, being in lockdown and enjoying more time with our families. And of course, many situations in between. But perhaps on…
Read MoreSexuality in COVID-19 times
En Español, Pусский, Français. I was compelled to write this article, after reading a document issued by New York Community Health entitled Sex and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID -19). Upon reading the publication, I was struck by various ideas concerning sexuality, which the New York scientific group was suggesting for its readers, faced with pandemic-imposed…
Read MoreA COVID-19 crisis helpline for people with medical, psychological and financial worries
En Español, Français, Pусский Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed our lives. A totally unexpected pandemic appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. And now, due to its high transmissibility, many of the countries have decided to isolate or strictly confine their populations, to prevent further spread of the disease. We highlight three areas…
Read MoreWorking together in Indonesia – what COVID-19 taught us as a community
En Français, Pусский, Português It all started when I received a phone call from a colleague informing me that one student under our ministry had tested positive for COVID-19. Inevitably, my mind rushed to two weeks earlier when she was the worship leader at a student gathering with approximately 180 students attending. Some of them…
Read MoreTen things to pray for Christian healthcare workers
Em Português, Français This morning I read a news article entitled ‘What am I still allowed to do?’ It outlined what the new UK-wide lockdown means for each of us and when we can leave the house. In many countries around the world, similar measures have come into effect in the last few weeks. However,…
Read MoreHealthcare resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Christian ethical perspective
Em Português This is a short summary of a briefing paper – please read the full version for a more thorough consideration of the issues. As doctors based in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), a well-resourced healthcare system, we approach the subject of healthcare rationing with a degree of humility. However, as the…
Read More‘Green zones’ for the vulnerable may be a cheap and effective option for preventing coronavirus spread in low-resource settings
En Français, Español, Português US and Western Europe have so far been the hardest hit by the coronavirus with over 80% of cases worldwide – but there’s good reason to think that the Developing World will ultimately suffer most. According to a recent report, 40 million lives may be at risk this year (see my previous…
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