Mother Teresa - clarifications?

[27lw]

Hello all,
I ran across some material today that talked about Mother Teresa, and how perhaps there were questionable medical things happening at some of her clinics and hospices. That needles were used over and over, pain meds were not given. Of a clinic that they Missionaries of Charity could have opened in NYC, but they would have had to install an elevator, and they would have preferred to have carried the patients in their arms.
I have found these claims written by different people who volunteered in these clinics - - am I misreading them? Is there an explanation for not using meds, mosquito netting, etc.? Anyone have any light to shed on this? It’s very upsetting and I’m not sure how much to believe.
Maybe people here know more?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The claims are unfounded.

For one, Mother Teresa, did not run medical clinics or hospitals, as many think. She picked people up off the streets and gave them a bed, food and when possible, medical professionals would go in and donate their time. There were some places where medical professionals set up clinics, next to or near Mother Teresa’s homes.

Also, the Missionaries Charity are not nurses, they don’t give medications other than over the counter stuff they have donated to their homes.

Here in the USA, they probably can’t even do this.

That being said, those in their homes would be living in the gutters of Calcutta and such, but have a place to eat, be clean and fed.

One of the big critics who spread much misinformation about Mother Teresa, was the staunch atheist, Christopher Hitchens, who has since died.

Jim

 

[Nelka]

Mother Theresa did a wonderful thing for her whole life and some people hate that and try to destroy it.

 

[JackVk]

Mother Teresa wasn’t perfect. Never claimed to be. All she was doing was loving those who would otherwise have rotted in the streets. People like the late Christopher Hitchens and the has-been magicians Penn and Teller defamed her simply because they know deep down they could never get out of their palaces and do what she did. Nor did they ever run through a firefight in Beirut to get kids out of a hospital.

 

[Origen52]

No one can please everyone. Remember, there were people who severely criticized Jesus.
"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

I’m old enough to have heard Mother Teresa speak in person. She was a powerful woman with great charisma. There have always been attacks and rumours about her, this is sadly not a recent thing. Christopher Hitchens wrote a very nasty book about her in 1995. I would consider the source. How many of her detractors have dedicated their lives to the poor? Criticizing is always easy.

 

[CradleJourney]

Of a clinic that they Missionaries of Charity could have opened in NYC, but they would have had to install an elevator, and they would have preferred to have carried the patients in their arms.
I have found these claims written by different people who volunteered in these clinics - - am I misreading them? Is there an explanation for not using meds, mosquito netting, etc.? Anyone have any light to shed on this? It’s very upsetting and I’m not sure how much to believe.
Maybe people here know more?

Regarding the NYC issue, a newspaper report written at the time (and read by me at the time) stated they were turned down for a permit to open the shelter because it had no elevator. They said they were willing (not preferred) to carry anyone who needed assistance. That was unacceptable to the city due to building / fire codes and thus they were denied since they did not have the funds to install an elevator.

I could easily see money - or the lack of it - being at the source of these other rumors as well. Nothing to be upset about - simply people seeing one thing and assuming something bad about it and spreading rumors.