North Korea, "new hope for peace" with charity towards TB sufferers
Seoul ( AsiaNews) - "New hope and a new life " for TB patients in North Korea who have responded well to treatment provided by one of the few NGOs that have permission to cross the border that divides the peninsula. This is Fr. Gerard Hammond's greatest wish. The Maryknoll missionary has aided patients followed by the Eugene Bell Foundation who have recovered and can now go home. The priest explains to AsiaNews, that this wish "is the recipe for peace and reunification. We really hope that these small signs of hope can become seeds for a great future throughout Korea".
This is the first time ever, after decades of visits to the North, that the American missionary has been granted permission to speak in public with patients: "It was a wonderful surprise and an honor for me. This trip, from the end of April to mid-May, brought with it many 'firsts' : we were given permission to visit more than one center for the fight against TB in new provinces. And for the first time in a long time we have seen an increase in the number of patients who responded positively to treatment".
Fr. Hammond has worked for 20 years with North Korea. Regional Superior of the Maryknoll missionaries, he has made more than 50 trips to the country: this year he obtained South Korean citizenship , a rare honor for a Westerner , in view of his humanitarian and Catholic commitment. Even the Eugene Bell Foundation has a long history of aid to the North. Founded in 1995, at the will of Stephen Linton, the delegation is allowed to visit some areas of North Korea twice a year. The delivery of medicines and medical equipment to eradicate tuberculosis is the purpose of these visits.
The country has about 22 million inhabitants, of which half live below the poverty line. As Fr. Hammond explained Tuberculosis "is propagated by air and affects those who suffer from malnutrition or general organic weakness. We are trying to do everything possible to stop the contagion, and in this our group is proactive. We do not hide our identity, requests for visas are honest and in the delegation of this last trip there were a total of four priests" Including two missionaries of Guadalupe and a MEP priest.
On this last trip, says Fr . Hammond, "we visited 12 centers for tuberculosis patients, across 4 provinces. Of these, two had never been opened to foreigners before. Basically we started from the northern part of the country, the Chinese border , and arrived at the 38th parallel [the "dividing line" that separates the peninsula since the end of civil war -ed]. We treated 400 new patients, so now we follow over a thousand patients. Of these, 48 % have responded positively to treatment and 70% have been completely cured".
However the Foundation does not forget the 30 % who will not make it: " We hope to begin a program of palliative care soon for those who do not respond to treatment. The Government has not given us an answer yet, but with every passing journey they see that what we do is good for the nation and good for them, so I'm optimistic. At the end of this visit I was able to speak with government permission to those who have been cured and were allowed to go home. I wished them a new life and new hope. The patients are always very grateful . I believe that what we do is useful also for peace in the peninsula, because they and their families will not forget those who helped them".
In this regard, Pope Francis' visit to Korea scheduled for August next will go a long way: "The Church and the Korean faithful are eagerly awaiting this visit. After every Mass we recite a special prayer for the success of his journey. We know that the Pope is able to bring peace to Korea and around the world . I am really looking forward to it".
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