The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) sent on August 17 a dispatch to the central function committees and the provincial-level VBS executive committees asking for a close coordination on voluntary services by young Buddhist monastics in the Covid-19 frontline forces.
According to the dispatch, considering reports and recommendations of some provincial-level VBS executive committees, the VBS’s central executive council asked the VBS’s executive committee in provinces and central-run cities to continue receiving petitions of Buddhist monks and nuns who have some basic medical skills and necessary conditions for this voluntary service of joining frontline forces against the pandemic in field hospitals and resuscitation hospitals treating Covid-19 patients, and sending them the VBS’s Northern and Southern Office.
Based on these petitions, the VBS central executive council would coordinate with competent authorities and concerning provincial VBS executive committees for sending these volunteers to field resuscitation hospitals in need.
The central VBS also asked the provincial-level VBS executive committees to closely wok with the religious committees and departments of health in provinces and cities in cases where a Buddhist temple has any member infected with Covid-19, and they may as well use trained voluntary Buddhist monastics to help this temple in the process of taking care and treatment of this Covid-19 patient.
Responding the central VBS’s call on the same day, the VBS in Binh Duong release a notice calling Buddhist monks, nuns and lay followers to voluntarily join Covid-19 frontline forces in the province.
The provincial VBS Executive Committee urged local Buddhist monastics and lay followers from 20 to 40 years old, with good health a spirit of voluntary to register joining the frontline forces against the pandemic in the province.
