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For nearly 100 years, the Santa Marta Dispensary has kept its doors open to serve the most needy children.
In this safe environment within the Vatican, almost 50 specialists, doctors and volunteers provide primary medical care to some 300 children, serving around 280 families.
It is led by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
ANTONIETTA COLLACCHI
Director, Santa Marta Dispensary
“The greatest satisfaction is seeing the children calmly playing here. They feel at home. For them it is like a second home, even for some, their first. Also, to see the mothers leaving happy because they get to take home some things they need to provide for their children.”
They offer free services including: pediatric medicine, dentistry, dermatology, gynecology and ophthalmology, among other specialties. It’s all due to the support of volunteer doctors from Bambino Gesù Hospital, the San Pedro and San Pablo Association, private institutions and lay volunteers.
STEFANO FICOLA
Doctor
“In my case they come down from the dentist's chair, which is not always a comfortable place, and they give you a smile, a hug, a thank you and that is all we need. We are here for that.”
Families in need, mostly immigrants, even non-Catholics are served in this small clinic located next door to where the pope lives, Casa Santa Marta.
CESARE BRACCI
Volunteer
“They are almost always families that need support and help, not just medical. They also need a kind word, some advice. It means concretely being able to give a hand to a specific person.”
Colombian, Edgar Javier is another collaborator. He says his personal experience has helped him get closer to the patients who come to the clinic.
EDGAR JAVIER LIEVANO
Collaborator
“I have this experience of recognizing the needs of the people who come here. It could be they lack the same things I miss coming from a foreign country. So I share a bit of solidarity with the experiences of the people who come here.”
Since its foundation in 1922 with Benedict XV, this initiative has been supported by everyy pope. In recent years, the clinic and its volunteers thanked him in a special way with a small birthday party for Pope Francis in the month of December.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: Melissa Butz
