MST offers Centro Paulo Freire as a field hospital for patients with COVID-19

In addition, the movement's state directorate has guided solidarity campaigns in Recife, Caruaru and Petrolina

The state administration of the MST in Pernambuco made the structure of the Paulo Freire Training Center available in Caruaru to the State Government, to serve as a field hospital for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The decision was formalized in a letter on Monday (March 30) and is a reinforcement for SUS [Brazil’s public health service] to account for the number of patients infected in this pandemic in the state.

The center has more than 50 rooms in the accommodation sector, 6 classrooms and an auditorium with a capacity for 800 people. It is located in the Normandy Settlement, in the countryside of the State, and is used by the movement with popular education, training of teachers and coordinators

The action is part of the Hands of Solidarity campaign, of the Brazil Popular Front, also launched this Monday. The campaign consists of several tasks, such as distributing lunchboxes to the homeless, manufacturing handmade masks, distributing basic baskets to campers and communities in the periphery at risk.

In addition, the state directorate of the MST has guided its bases here in the state to maintain the production of healthy food and homemade and handmade medicines, such as tinctures, teas, syrups to improve immunity, in addition to guiding all settlements to organize and produce gardens medicinal products, organic products, especially for the production and consumption of the family itself

The family and collective agribusiness units are developing techniques for the conservation and storage of agricultural products, in order to guarantee the supply of healthy food to cities.

The agents and doctors of the MST health sector are also accompanying the families of the settlements and camps in the measures to prevent coronavirus, in particular the houses where people at risk range, the elderly, newborns and the sick live.

Solidarity

In Recife, Armazém do Campo, a space for the sale of Agrarian Reform products coordinated by the MST, has been carrying out the Marmita Solidária campaign. The action distributes meals to the homeless. In five days of action, more than 6 thousand lunch boxes were distributed.

This campaign is an articulation of the Brazil Popular Front coronavirus safety and prevention measures.