World day of the sick is celebrated annually on 11th February across the world. People from all over the world take time from their busy schedules to pray and care for the sick and reduce their suffering. This day was proposed by Pope John Paul II for the believers to offer prayers for people who are suffering from any disease.

In 1991, Pope John Paul II was diagnosed with the disease of Parkinson’s which had no cure but can be treated to manage the symptoms and maintain a quality of life. The Pope was touched by this and decided to set aside a day to be observed as World day of the sick. Since that day it is celebrated on 11th February. It is a day to offer prayers and support people who are suffering from illness or disease.

Theme 2023

The theme of World day of the sick is “Illness is a part of the human condition. Yet if illness is experienced in isolation and abandonment, unaccompanied by care and compassion, it can become inhumane.”

Earlier this week, the Vatican released Pope Francis’s message for the 31st World day of the sick. 

“These past years of the pandemic have increased our sense of gratitude for those who work each day in the fields of healthcare and research. Yet it is not enough to emerge from such an immense collective tragedy simply by honoring heroes. Covid-19 has strained the great networks of expertise and solidarity and has exposed the structural limits of existing public welfare systems.  Gratitude, then, needs to be matched by actively seeking, in every country, strategies and resources in order to guarantee each person’s fundamental right to basic and decent healthcare.”

As per the MoHFW, there are 1820 active COVID-19 cases in India, 44151424 patients are discharged from hospitals while 530750 people lost their lives. Total vaccination till date is 2206289034.

On this World Day of the sick, let’s offer gratitude to a healthcare professional or volunteer and promise to visit our loved ones or strangers who are shut in, lonely or sick.