Bishop Noel Treanor appealed to the public to care for “the safety, well-being and health of all NHS and Care workers,” in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
He acknowledged the “immense” pressure that healthcare workers – nurses, ambulance teams, paramedics, doctors, surgeons, consultants, administrative and cleaning staff – find themselves under at this time.
The Bishop of Down and Connor referenced the fact that many healthcare staff were unable to avail of holidays this summer due to a sense of duty and the need to catch up on hospital waiting lists.
As well as this, he highlighted the danger of contributing to the level of infection among healthcare workers by being careless as “we meet and encounter them in public spaces”.
Bishop Treanor exhorted the public to care for healthcare workers in “positive action and in thoughtfulness,” by washing and sanitising hands regularly, wearing masks and observing social distancing.
He also warned against “that other threatening virus – the virus of self-centred, heedless egocentrism,” encouraging thoughtfulness and care as a “motto and guiding star” for the months ahead.