Missionaries of Charity: Tending to Kolkata's sick (Feature)

By Siddhartha Kumar Aug 18, 2010, 3:03 GMT

Kolkata - The old man's lips quiver, groping for the water-tumbler as he is helped from his bed by a volunteer.

The frail form reclines again and the languid eyes speak of a life in its final stages.

The septuagenarian, suffering from cancer, was left to die on Kolkata's streets by his sons, before he was brought to Nirmal Hriday - Bengali for Pure Heart - Mother Teresa's first home for the sick and dying among the destitute, situated near the ancient Kalighat temple.

Like him, over 100 sick and terminally ill men and women have found shelter in the hospice.

Those without hope in this densely-populated metropolis are bathed, fed and treated by sisters as well as volunteers, mostly young foreigners. Many get love and care in their last days and, ultimately, dignity in death.

Since it was established in 1952, a total of 87,000 people have been admitted and 36,200 of them have died, says Sister Glenda, who runs Nirmal Hriday.

'People come in such heart-rending condition, emaciated, bundles of skin and bone, suffering from AIDS, cancer or tuberculosis. We prepare them for the worst, but many of them recover,' she says.

'In all the years here, I can say God alone heals. God gives enough strength to endure suffering,' says the nun, who was trained by Mother Teresa.

In the adjoining women's ward a young tribal girl, Budhin Baksi, is battling death. She is undergoing operations in a Kolkata hospital to remove a brain tumour.

Ram Bahadur, whose leg was crushed in a railway accident, dismisses criticism of medical standards at the hospice.

'When there was no one for a destitute (person) like me, the sisters spent 400,000 rupees (8,534 dollars) on operations and the best treatment at premier hospitals.'

Volunteers say the experience has given a deeper meaning to their lives.

'There is a joy in seeing people recover from critical conditions and bringing smiles to the terminally ill,' an Australian student who requested anonymity said.

The Missionaries of Charity care for lepers, the mentally ill, disabled, sick and abandoned children, the aged and prostitutes in 19 such homes in Kolkata. They have schools run by volunteers to educate slum children, run food centres and other services depending on the needs of the community.

Not far from Nirmal Hriday is the Shishu Bhavan, a home for abandoned children.

The centre has three wings, one for malnourished and disabled children, a baby and toddler ward and a section for abused women.

More than 150 children in the infant and toddler ward learn to walk, read and write from the nuns. Many of the children are taken in for adoption, locally or abroad, especially to Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and Spain.

Many children maintain contact with friends from the home even after being adopted, resulting in their families developing a special bond, Sister Inma Culada says.

A group of young men and women, who were adopted out of the home as children and are now established professionals in Europe, are visiting, wanting to help.

Although adoption remains a key part of the activities of Shishu Bhawan, a large section provides continuous care and a permanent home for hundreds of children with mental or physical disabilities.

Senior Sister Andrea says Mother Teresa always taught the nuns to find the image of God in the eyes of the suffering person.

'Its not easy to find the face of God in people, because it is buried under pain, under poverty, under sin. Mother said the more distressing and difficult that disguise, the deeper must be your faith.'

In the nursery, full of toys and brightly-painted walls, many children dance to the beats of Bengali pop music or attend classes on singing or to develop cognitive abilities.

During the break, several children scamper and crowd around visitors playfully.

Some children, like 4-year-old Sonal, are excited as her adoptive parents are due to arrive from Switzerland. Her brown eyes are cheerful and bright, as she awaits a new life.