In Mérida, close to 60 civil associations made up of religious groups, housewives, students and people of all ages provide support to relatives of patients hospitalized in public hospitals, providing food aid, supportive talks, a shelter or a blanket so they can cope with their stay while waiting for their relatives to recover.
When an altruistic group arrives at the hospitals, these volunteers offer food to people in unprotected situation, who do not have enough economic resources to pay for any kind of accommodation. These groups bring them bread, tamales, coffee, water, milk, juice for children or fruit so that they have something to eat, at least for that day.
The main objective is to provide people with food, and altruistic groups somehow always manage to visit the different hospitals, where there is lack of support for these people, to show them they’re not alone, there is always someone who shows up with some bread and coffee for these unfortunate human beings.
A security guard who has been working for more than two years at the Hospital Agustín O’Horán, who requested anonymity, said there are always “angels” who come to offer a bit of joy and consolation to family members who are many times desperate not to know what is going on with their relative, since they are not allowed to go into the hospital.
“When these “angels” come to this hospital they enlighten the needy with their kindness, with their selfless assistance, because their enormous help is not going to be paid with money of any kind. They light up the life of these poor people, who are often in the dark, without food, without a place to stay, without money… That’s what makes their work more praiseworthy. May God bless these “Angels” so they can continue helping more people in need, ” the anounimous source said.
Children sleeping outside Agustn O’Horan hospital in Mérida (Photo: SIPSE)
Paulina, who belongs to a low income family, lived a difficult situation when her father suffered an accident, so she and her mother had to spend a couple of months sleeping in the waiting room of O’Horán. They had to take good care of the money they had, to pay for the hospital bills, says she and her family are immensely grateful with the associations that arrived with water, food, and above all, with moral support to help them to cope with the terrible problem they were facing.
“After we were able to leave this situation behind, we decided to join the association, which goal is that people have something to eat, and although we can not visit the different hospitals every day, whenever we can, we gladly go there with food and water to help these poor people, because my family and I went through a similar situation some time ago, and we know how difficult it is to be alone in the face of an accident, illness or misfortune, ” Paulina said.
She added that after the support they received from the “Dr. Sonrisas “association, they decided to join the group to return a little of what she, her mother and her brothers received when they needed it the most.
Manuel González, whose father has been hospitalized for 15 days, in the Regional Hospital No. 1 Lic. Ignacio García Téllez (T1), said he was very grateful with a group of nuns, members of a religious congregation, who provided him with food and water for several days without expecting anything in return, in a total and absolute atruistic way.
“They are concerned for our situation. But we also have to do our part and kindly accept what they offer us for dinner, and thank them, since they have no obligation, but they still bring us a piece of bread and something to drink, in an action that comes from the heart ” Gonzalez said.
It is worth mentioning that not only civil organizations support this altruistic work, there are also restaurants, and panaderías that have implemented activities to bring this type of aid to hospitals in Mérida.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom
