Let there be no greed in caring for the sick, Gozo Bishop insists

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech said there was no space for greed in the treatment and care of the sick because human presence brought them closer to experiencing God' s love.

He warned against pushing sick people aside because this led to a "social death" where an individual lost all contact with colleagues and, sometimes, even families.

"While an illness is cruel, solitude and being abandoned causes greater suffering," Mgr Grech warned during a homily on World Day of the Sick. He said that when the sense of solidarity was missing from society, even the families felt cut off and emarginated.

Mgr Grech said the island was blessed with voluntary and religious organisations that cared for the sick. He said every local community should work to embrace this culture in favour of life within the community.

His words come just days after the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Joe Cassar called on relatives of patients recovering from operations but able to leave hospital to care for them at home so that they can free up needed hospital beds, even if this would require taking leave from work.

Dr Cassar said patients, especially those living alone, should not remain in an acute hospital simply because they were not yet self-sufficient. This also called for strong community care, which, he admitted, was limited, as well as an increase in rehabilitation beds.