A LE T T ER FRO M EGY PT
Support in a Time of Crisis by Simone Abdel Malek, D.C.
I
n Egypt’s ancient city of Alexandria there is an area called Saba Banat (“Seven Girls”), a quarter associated with the arrival of seven religious sisters who, in 1844, established a new mission dedicated to their founder, St. Vincent de Paul. I am Sister Simone Abdel Malek, a Daughter of Charity, and I work within that mission that today includes a school, an orphanage, a dispensary and the sisters’ community. Our modest 4,300-square-foot dispensary provides medical services to some 800 patients a day — and sometimes as many as 1,000. We serve those who live in such economic poverty they cannot afford the cost of medical services. Here, however, they have access to ophthalmology, physical therapy, dentistry, cardiology, pediatrics, orthopedics, dermatology, radiology, ultrasound examinations, laboratory testing and more. And thanks to CNEWA’s support, we have upgraded the dispensary’s dentistry and ear, nose and throat facilities, providing better care to our patients. The coronavirus has arrived in Egypt, striking a fragile health care system and infecting a population already struggling to cope with a long-troubled economy. There is a shortage of doctors, nurses, drugs, medical supplies and beds, leaving the health care system ill-equipped to manage a fast-moving
and highly lethal pandemic. Should COVID continue its rapid spread, we fear it will be only a matter of time before the health crisis becomes a political one as well. Tens of thousands of poor families have been affected in Alexandria by the closing of all shops and markets, schools and universities. Losing their only source of income — especially among day laborers — has made it impossible for families to buy essential goods or pay their household expenses, such as electricity bills, water and gas, rent and even required medications. Governmentimposed quarantines and curfews have curtailed access to necessary supplies — masks and disinfectants — which are difficult to find and expensive, too. As we live through this nightmare, which we share with much of the whole world, we Daughters of Charity have come together to support those whose poverty deepens. We began distributing food packages to orphans, lonely elderly men and women, the ill, the unemployed, and more. We assisted in the distribution of food coupons to those families most in need, typically between 100 and 200 Egyptian pounds, or the equivalent of $6 to $12 U.S. dollars, for items such as bread, meat, fish or medicine not available in our pharmacy. Moreover, we issued medications for chronic illnesses, and even blankets to those who have none. Throughout this pandemic, we have been preparing hot meals for all our employees, who for the purpose of precaution have been divided into
“Our joy and trust in the Lord in the midst of this pandemic will help show the path for doing the same in all our works.”
A certified nurse, Sister Simone Abdel Malek leads the Daughters of Charity community in Alexandria and directs the Saba Banat dispensary.
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CNEWA
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