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 in need of medical help, especially those suffering from leprosy and tuberculosis (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.
Your support for the 2024 PIME Serata will assist Sr. Roberta in bringing health, hope, and love to those suffering in some of the most deprived areas of Bangladesh.
Leader