April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
MEDICUS CHRISTI
Doctor's dream of Ghana surgery center gains support in Italy
The original Medicus Christi organization began in the mid-2000s after Dr. Marotta, an orthopedic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen, an orthopedic nurse, heard a visiting priest give a homily on service at St. Joan of Arc parish in Menands.
The Catholic doctor was struck by the idea of giving back, and decided to find a way that people in Ghana - his pastor's country of origin - could access the kind of services Dr. Marotta offers here in the Albany Diocese at Burdett Orthopedics and Samaritan Hospital, both in Troy.
Desperate need
Ghana, a West African country, has only about 15 orthopedic surgeons, or one for every 1.5 million people. An injured person who would receive immediate surgery in the United States may, in Ghana, end up bedridden while awaiting an operation, dealing with a deformity for life or losing a limb unnecessarily. Infections can kill.
Dr. Marotta wants to build not just a center where injuries can be treated, but the largest orthopedic hospital in Africa - a learning center where physicians from across the African continent can be trained in surgical techniques.
When doctors go overseas with various charitable organizations to donate their services, he explained, they perform surgeries for a couple of weeks and "it's great, but it doesn't leave any lasting improvements in the countries."
Instead, Dr. Marotta wants to do what he called "medical diplomacy," building cultural understanding while training African medical personnel. He strongly believes that it's a "win-win situation for everyone involved:" Injured people can receive better care; physicians who do the training can satisfy their desire to volunteer; and the Church can fulfill its mission to provide pastoral care in poorer countries.
Ready to go
After several years of fundraising, Dr. Marotta said, the project is "shovel-ready. We have all the architectural designs. It's just a matter of building the buildings." With funds ranging from donations from parishes at home to a $200,000 grant from the Italian bishops' conference, he added, "I've already shipped millions of dollars of equipment and supplies," including tools, braces and orthotic devices donated by companies that make such items.
Along the way, Dr. Marotta has amassed some impressive supporters: Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese, an initial booster of Medicus Christi; Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, who accepted a position on the organization's board after becoming Bishop of Albany; and Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Cardinal Turkson, who has ties to the Albany Diocese through friends like Rev. Kofi Ntsiful-Amissah of St. Joan parish, has lobbied on Medicus Christi's behalf in Washington. The cardinal has also introduced Dr. Marotta to key figures at the Vatican.
"I consider him a mentor," the orthopedist said. "Many times, when I would say, 'I bit off more than I can chew' [in creating Medicus Christi], I would call him or email him, and he would be responsive. He said to me, 'When Christ left this earth, He left behind 12 Apostles huddled in a room, fearing for their lives - and they would rely on the Holy Spirit to change the world. When you're troubled, you have to pray.'"
Support from Rome
Most significantly, Dr. Marotta was able to talk about his work with Pope Benedict XVI a few years ago during an audience arranged by Cardinal Turkson.
"Aside from watching my kids being born, the greatest moment of my life was kneeling before Pope Benedict," Dr. Marotta said. "He kind of tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'You're doing a good job.'"
During last week's visit to Rome, Dr. Marotta met with Cardinal Turkson and other members of the Roman Curia; with Kenneth Hackett, the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican; with an EWTN television correspondent; and with staff from Aid to the Church in Need, an international organization under the pope's guidance.
Through Mr. Hackett's connections, the doctor is hoping to get an audience with Pope Francis when the pope visits the U.S. in September.
"My trip to Rome is the first step in building that relationship - getting Medicus Christi established in Rome," Dr. Marotta told The Evangelist on the first day of his trip.
Medicus Christi Italy needs to be associated with the Vatican, he explained, because all non-profits in Italy that support overseas charities must have the Church "as a kind of co-sponsor."
Italian offshoot
Medicus Christi Italy has been several years in the making. Dr. Ettore Valente, a Rome orthopedic surgeon, has family who live near Dr. Marotta's parents in Long Island, N.Y. Dr. Valente had loosely organized a group of fellow doctors with similar goals as Medicus Christi's, but didn't have the connection to Africa until he met Dr. Marotta last summer while visiting the U.S. Now, said Dr. Marotta, "We've joined forces."
As the actual construction of TORCH/WALC - the Turkson Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center Hospital and the West African Learning Center for Orthopedic Surgery - in Ghana's Cape Coast region comes closer to fruition, Dr. Marotta is setting his sights even higher: He wants to build the overall medical infrastructure in areas devastated by the outbreak of the Ebola virus.
"I am humbled by all the people who have supported me" in pursuing this venture, he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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