Assistance to the Sick

Call to follow Jesus’ path

Jesus used to look after the sick during his ministry and expects his followers to do the same. In response to an expert in the law’s question, he said, “³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” (Luke 10:33-35). We need to visit and assist the sick at home, in nursing homes, and in hospitals.

Statistics about the sick in the US and abroad

There are numerous sicks in the U.S. and abroad. According to data from the 2012 American Annual Survey, the total of admissions in all U.S. registered hospitals was 36,156,245 (ahadataviewer.com). In addition, data collected from 2013 table from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the number of emergency department visits at 129.8 million resulting in 17.2 million admissions in U.S. hospitals (cdc.gov).

The situation does not look better in other parts of the world. For instance, AIDS has been ravaging southern Africa, where in Swaziland only over 25% of the adult population is affected. In most of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, people have been suffering of malnutrition due to lack of the average daily calorie. People in developing countries are often affected by infectious diseases causing more than 16 million deaths a year. Their major killers are cholera, dysentery, malaria, measles, pneumonia, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and typhoid. However, cancer and circulatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension causing strokes and heart attacks are the most common causes of fatality in developed countries (Oxford Atlas of the World, 104).

Call for action

Being in good health is a gift. Have you ever thought about those who are ill? Today is their turn, tomorrow may be ours. Let us start looking after them today, for Jesus values our support to the sick.

References

ahadataviewer.com (AHA Hospital statistics, 2014 edition).

cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm

Oxford Atlas of the World. 21^st ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2013, 104.