Church collects aid for Kerala temple tragedy victims

New Delhi: In solidarity with the victims of the Kerala temple tragedy, Delhi-headquartered Believer's Church, a Christian denomination with congregations and parishes worldwide, is collecting medicines, food packets and clothing to provide relief to the affected people in Kollam.

The Church said it is also mobilising its medical team with specialised doctors from its Tiruvalla Hospital to aid in relief operations. A number of volunteers on behalf of the Believers Church are also assisting the local administration in relief operations, it said.

K P Yohannan, Metropolitan of Believers Church said, "We will do everything in our power to help the bereaved families and provide timely medical assistance to those who have been injured."

The Church said it is willing to provide free of cost treatment to the sufferers at its state-of-the-art multi-specialty hospital in Tiruvalla which is about 35 kms from Kollam.

"Believers Church Medical College Hospital, Tiruvalla, is offering free treatment to all victims of the Kollam tragedy," added Yohannan.

The Church said it is pooling resources, including collecting donations, for carrying out relief work in Kollam and assisting in rebuilding works.

"We have collected 5,000 mosquito nets and as many packets of medicines, food and clothes to be sent to Kollam. We have a team of doctors which is monitoring the verification of medicines that are to be sent," Bishop Simon John of the Delhi Centre of Believers Church said. The Bishop said the Church has asked all its members in cities like Lucknow, Udaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Delhi, Amritsar to contribute for the cause.

"Use of firecrackers is a part of the festival. People should be more careful while using them. And as a Church we have taken an initiative and asked our members not to use firecrackers. We are trying to communicate to people and raise awareness that firecrackers may cause harm," he said.