Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - For years, Caritas and the volunteers from the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City have sponsored programmes for cancer patients in southern Vietnam. For them, "Christian solidarity must find concrete implementation in the real world [...] and charity must involve Catholics and non-Catholics alike".
One of the programmes inspired by such solidarity is 'Mother Teresa's cup of soup.' Offered since July 2011 by the Association of Catholic mothers in Thanh Dja Parish, it entails a cup of soup prepared for patients and their families.
The women involved in the association are a godsend, said Thanh Dja Parish Committee chief Joseph Thi, because they do crucial work in a difficult social and health care context.
In less than three years, the association has handed out cups of soup to 17,400 people, at a cost of US$ 15,560.
Initially, the programme involved two hot meals a month, distributed to about 200 people. Today, more than 500 patients receive regular assistance from Catholic volunteers and the food offered includes noodles, bread and milk to boost appetite, promote physical healing and stimulate endurance.
Each year, Vietnam has 150,000 new cases of cancer, with 75,000 deaths. Among men, lung cancer is the main form of cancer, followed by liver and colon cancer. Among women, breast cancer tops the list, followed by stomach and uterine cancer.
In 80 per cent of the cases, external factors, like tobacco, are the main cause of the disease. Poor eating habits, a high fat and low fibre diet, and the lack of exercise are other factors.
Contaminated products, especially food, from China, are another factor. They are brought in by unscrupulous merchants who do not hesitate to sell products that contain chemicals or additives in order to enrich themselves.
With a capacity of more than 1,500 beds, the Cancer Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City is a cutting-edge centre for the treatment of cancer patients.
It is really a "unique" place, said Joseph Thi, one that is open to people from all ten provinces of southern Vietnam.
Each year, about 800,000 people walk into the facility seeking treatment of various cancers, "most of whom making their way with difficulty from remote areas."
Charity in Thanh Dja Parish is also available to members of other religions.
It has provided consolation for the sick, this according to a Buddhist woman whose sick father finds comfort in speaking to Catholics.
"We are provincials," she said, "and have no food or money. We get a cup of hot soup and encouragement to endure our father's final days. This is our spirituality. It has great value and is full of meaning."
Out of Vietnam's 87 million people, 48 per cent are Buddhists, more than 7 per cent are Catholics, 5.6 per cent follow syncretistic religions and 20 per cent are atheist.
As a small, albeit significant minority, the Christian community is particularly active in education, health and social affairs.
In recent years, religious freedom has steadily eroded in Vietnam. Under Decree 92, more controls and restrictions have been imposed on religious worship, increasingly subjected to the whims of the Communist Party and the one-party state.