Sr. Roberta Pignone is a Missionary Sister of the Immaculate (PIME Sister) and a medical doctor. She works amid the poor in the slums of the Diocese of Khulna in Bangladesh treating those who come seeking help, especially those with leprosy and TB.
Sr. Roberta is not only the director of the 33-bed Damien Hospital, but she is the only doctor on staff and also oversees 3 clinics and 15 TB control centers. In addition, Sr. Roberta and the PIME sisters in Khulna are involved in intensive outreach efforts where the poorest and most vulnerable in their area are - in the slums around them. They crisscross the streets of Khulna to educate people and treat those at highest risk for spreading these diseases. They visit areas such as factory or mill sleeping quarters and rickshaw garages known to be pockets of disease. Venturing onto the streets and into the slum villages, Sr. Roberta and her team show graphics alerting the local people as to what the disease symptoms might look like while also using a loudspeaker to broadcast information from their van.
In 34 years of their work here they have treated over 4,800 leprosy patients in the Khulna metropolitan area, and they have helped 6,795 TB patients since 2001. The goals of their leprosy program are the detection and treatment of undiscovered cases, prevention, ulcer reduction, and social rehabilitation. For TB they expect to detect at least 70% of new cases while curing 85% of them. Their ultimate goal is to create greater awareness of these diseases among the general population and to remove the stigma associated with them. Not only does Sr. Roberta’s work keep these infectious diseases under control but she provides physical and emotional healing to the suffering.
In 2021 and 2022, PIME USA supporters helped Sr. Roberta stock a new dispensary with medications for her TB and leprosy patients, helping her to raise the amount that was so desperately needed. Sister Roberta and especially her patients are grateful to their PIME USA supporters for this life-saving help.
In order to maintain this vital assistance to the most vulnerable, Sister Roberta’s dispensaries will continue to need annual assistance of $11,000 for three additional years. While funding for 2023 and 2024 has been raised, support for 2025 is still needed.
Sr. Roberta and the PIME sisters in Bangladesh bring healing, hope, and love to the suffering in some of the most deprived areas of the country. Can you help Sr. Roberta provide healing and bring the mercy of Christ to the sick?
Leader
Published Thu, Feb 15, 24. Written by Kathleen Connors.
Thanks to your contributions through PIME’s virtual events, direct donations, and the MDP Medical Fund, Sr. Roberta has been able to stock a new dispensary with medications for her TB and leprosy patients. Over the past several years, annual support of $11,000 was sent to purchase life-giving medications and food for hundreds of patients who are hospitalized or in desperate condition at home. She could also help those who are unable to work and afford the cost of their medications. Sr. Roberta is grateful to her PIME supporters in the U.S. for providing healing and the mercy of Christ to those most in need.
Thank you for helping Sr. Roberta and the PIME Sisters bring treatment, hope, and love to the suffering in some of the most deprived areas in Bangladesh!
