Patients seeking conversation and companionship while staying in an Ottawa hospital will soon be offered friendly visits from volunteers at Centretown’s Islam Care Centre.
The centre, located at 312 Lisgar St., plans to launch a project in February that would see volunteers visit patients who receive few or no visits from family or friends and express interest in spending time with a guest.
The centre has served the Muslim community in Ottawa’s downtown area since its founding in 1992. It provides religious services and carries out social justice missions.
Saint-Vincent Hospital, on Cambridge Street west of Bronson Avenue, has confirmed that it will participate in the initiative.
Project co-ordinator Yumna Rashid says the program will be led by volunteers who want to remind the patients they have not been abandoned.”
“Our volunteers will visit once a week or whenever they can,” says Rashid. “There are people in hospitals who are not interested in watching TV or reading. Instead they would like somebody to visit them, talk to them and make them laugh.”
Rebekah Hackbusch is the professional leader and volunteer co-ordinator for spiritual care at Saint-Vincent. She says the program meets a growing demand at the hospital.
“Saint-Vincent is having an increase in Muslim patients so we are happy that our training program will connect Muslim volunteers with patients of their own faith and traditions.”
Omar Mahfoudhi, executive director of the ICC, says the project reflects the organization’s mission – to enhance the Muslim relationship with Ottawa and the rest of Canada.
“One of our mandates is to provide services by uplifting the spirit and maintaining the health of members of the Ottawa community,” says Mahfoudhi. “As an Islamic institution, we have an obligation to visit people in hospitals and, in fact, it’s required to visit people when they are sick.”
ICC officials say they hope to have the project up and running before the summer.
Sarah Chamon, who regularly visits a relative at the Ottawa Hospital, says this project is “touching” because it supports a community’s “togetherness.” She wishes the project will stretch to reach her sick aunt.
“My aunt doesn’t get very many visitors,” says Chamon. “I think it’s very heartwarming for a group of people to offer visits to complete strangers and I hope all hospitals join this cause.”