Chennai, May 17 — Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Saturday commended the significant contributions of Christian-run institutions in India's health and education sectors, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Speaking at the centenary celebrations of the All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF) in Chennai, O'Brien urged the youth to recognize and promote the community’s positive impact on nation-building.
Praise for Christian Institutions Amid Pandemic
Delivering the keynote address on the theme “Students in pursuit of change: Role of Christian institutions in healthcare”, O'Brien spotlighted the extensive role Christian-run hospitals played during the pandemic.“Christian institutions offered over 1,000 hospitals with 60,000 in-patient beds during COVID-19,” he said, adding that more than 80 percent of their services were rendered in remote and underserved regions, reaching around 2.5 crore people across India.
O'Brien highlighted the scope of various Christian healthcare networks:
- Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI): 3,500+ institutions, 76,000 health professionals
- Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI): 270 member institutions, 10,000 professionals, 46 nursing schools
- Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA): 20 hospitals
- Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore: A 3,000-bed, multi-specialty system spread over seven campuses
Call for Youth Engagement and Critique of RSS
Urging students not to fall for "negative communication" from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), O'Brien encouraged young Indians to confront misinformation with facts."Show them the facts and highlight the massive contribution this microscopic minority has made in building our great nation," he said.
Criticism of FCRA License Suspensions
O'Brien also took aim at the Union government for suspending the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licenses of various Christian-run NGOs. He cited the example of the Missionaries of Charity, whose FCRA license renewal was initially rejected in December 2021, before being reinstated in early January 2022.“All political parties opposed to a particular party are fighting this. Why are you targeting institutions doing such good work?” he asked.
Allegations of COVID Death Undercounting
The TMC leader raised concerns about discrepancies in reported COVID-19 deaths, citing recent civil registration data. He claimed that the 2021 death toll may have been undercounted by over 20 lakh, with Gujarat showing the highest levels of under-reporting.According to the 2021 Vital Statistics report, registered deaths rose from 81.2 lakh in 2020 to 102.2 lakh in 2021. O'Brien questioned the government’s narrative, noting that official claims of only a 9.3 percent excess mortality rate were contradicted by registration data.
