The Archdiocese of Ranchi launched a service to distribute fruits and nutrition supplements to Covid-19 patients and their attendants at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Wednesday with Archbishop Felix Toppo SJ and Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas SFX dispatching a consignment of complimentary nutrition packets to over 300 patients.

“Since the virus outbreak, the Archdiocese of Ranchi has been trying its best to help the poor and the marginalised. After launching endeavours of providing pre-packed non-vegetarian lunch packets outside the government hospital in Ranchi to attendants and relatives of hospitalised patients, we are now starting daily distribution of complementary nutrition packets,” said Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas.

He said RIMS, which is the biggest state-run hospital in Ranchi, is frequented by the poorest of the poor. Although meals are provided by the government, patients and their attendants would now also have the option of availing complementary food items like fruits, biscuits, juice, mineral water and beaten rice etc, he added.

"The Ranchi Archdiocese, through its seminarians and Ranchi Catholic Youth, will take to the hospital over 300 packets everyday. Our efforts are to strengthen government initiatives and help the needy in this time of crisis,” he said.

Bishop Mascarenhas citied that till now the Archdiocese, through the Ranchi Catholic Youth, have been distributing cooked packed food for over 800 needy people everyday for over a month. “The number of needy persons has been increasing and it's becoming difficult to maintain social distancing. Therefore, the Archdiocese decided to alter its method of helping the poor by bringing supplementary food directly to patients,” he said.

He said the Archdiocese would soon Launch a programme to distribute dry rations containing rice, dal (pulses), potato, cooking oil, salt, spices and onions in portions that would last two weeks for a family.

“The Catholic church is able to serve the poor only because many religious congregations and benefactors belonging both to the Catholic Church as well as followers of other religions have been generously donating to the cause,” he emphasized.