“We have the task to affirm that there are incurable illnesses; however, there aren’t illnesses that can’t be cared for, because to cure doesn’t only mean to heal, but also to accompany and to protect,” said Cardinal Parolin.
Yesterday, July 24, the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital presented the results of its health and scientific activities, as well as its “2018 Social Report,” during a meeting opened by its President, Mariella Enoc, and which included the intervention of the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Vatican News reported this today, July 25, 2019, adding that it was an excellent assessment of the health and scientific activity, as well as the social evaluation of the Hospital, which has humanitarian projects in 10 countries.
Cardinal Parolin’s Address
According to “Vatican News,” during his intervention Cardinal Parolin congratulated all those that cooperated in obtaining the good results and he encouraged them to continue to improve. “It’s important that this tension toward excellence doesn’t die out. We must never forget that the value of the successes achieved is measured by the capacity to improve the quality of care and assistance.” And he reminded that the “children, the young people and their families are, and must continue to be, the center of each activity, each process and each initiative undertaken.”
The Holy See’s Secretary of State also invited to combat “the danger of divisions and prominence,” asking that each one carry out his role in the institution “with conscientiousness and humility.”
He also referred to the recent case of Vincent Lambert, which made him think of the “commitment assumed to create the Institute of Cancer and Transplants and the planning of a paediatric hospice,” and he referred to the Pope’s words: “God is the only owner of life from the beginning until its natural end, and it’s our duty to protect it always.”
Asked about Syria and the letter Pope Francis sent to President al-Assad, the Cardinal stressed that the Holy See’s concern is eminently humanitarian.
Data of the Report and of the Social “Balance Sheet”
Afterwards, the Director of Health, Massimiliano Raponi, and the Scientific Director, Bruno Dallapiccola highlighted data of this Vatican Hospital.
According to the same source, the Hospital has offered almost two million outpatient services and accepted 29,000 hospitalizations. In regard to transplants, the Bambino Gesu is the only Hospital in Europe that does all types of transplants and has carried out 324 interventions on organs, cells and tissues.
In the treatment of rare diseases, it has identified 21 new and not very common pathologies and cared for 13,000 patients with this type of afflictions.
The work of its professional researchers has resulted in 679 publications, evaluated with 2968 points of the Grezzo Impact Factor (GIF), the procedure to measure the scientific value of the studies. As a consequence of this, the Bambino Gesu occupies third place in the network of Scientific Hospitals and Treatment Institutes (IRCCA) and the first among Italian paediatric hospitals.
Moreover, the Bambino Gesu offered lodging to some 4,500 families of hospitalized patients and 2,100 homes were attended by the social services. In addition, it received 62 “humanitarian” patients of 28 countries.
Given these excellent results and the Hospital’s 150th Anniversary, this coming November “A Night of Stars for the Child Jesus” will be held in Paul VI Hall. This event will seek to raise funds for the new Cancer and Transplants Institute.
