St. Alexy's Church Hospital, together with the Intercession Diocese, opened the first training class for nurses in the region in Engels. It will regularly host professional training courses on caring for the seriously ill and the wounded. The classroom is located on the base of the church in honor of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. On July 30, Bishop Theodore of Pokrovsky and Novouzensky celebrated a prayer service for the beginning of a good deed and consecrated the premises of a new classroom.
"By opening the first nurses training center in the Saratov region, we hope that as many people as possible will pass through it, ready to continue to carry their knowledge, help the suffering, give hope for healing and comfort. God grant that this ministry develops. In doing so, we fulfill Christ's commandment of mercy, which says that we are called to visit the sick and benefit the suffering. This gift comes from the Lord, but it passes through us," Bishop Theodore said at the opening of the class.
The Intercession Diocese has a sisterhood of mercy in the name of St. Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). The Sisters of Mercy help in the care of seriously ill patients in Engels city hospitals, boarding schools and children's hospitals.
"In Engels, our Training Center has already conducted three courses for the training of nursing specialists, and we see a sincere interest in serving others. We hope that the classroom will become a place where those who wish to serve their neighbors will be able to learn how to professionally care for the seriously ill and the wounded. There is a need for this important task not only in Engels, but throughout the region," said Alexey Zarov, Chief Physician of St. Alexy's Hospital.
The training center of St. Alexy's Church Hospital has been training specialists in the care of the seriously ill since 2018. It trains volunteers and nurses. The training center is located in Moscow, and field courses are also taking place and classrooms are opening all over Russia.
During their studies, future sisters of mercy study theory, and then in the classroom, under the guidance of a teacher, they master practical skills in caring for the seriously ill, including positioning, personal hygiene, infection safety, and the prevention of pressure sores. The training ends with an internship in medical institutions. After successful completion of the courses, the Training Center issues a certificate of the established pattern on the assignment of the profession of a junior nursing nurse.
The classroom of St. Alexy's Hospital in Engels was opened with the support of the Christian Charity Foundation.