PRAYING GOD: Pastors Prayed Over Stroke Victim For Hours Before Taking Him To Hospital

Evangelical pastors who prayed over a stroke victim for seven hours instead of taking him to hospital are facing court in Chile.

Church caretaker Pedro Carvajal had fallen ill at work in Quinta Normal, Santiago Province, on 19th October.

Church security guard Pedro Carvajal, and unidentified woman pose in undated photo. A pastor did not help the man who suffered from a cardiovascular accident instead prayed for 7 hours before taking him to a hospital, because he believed it was a spiritual issue, in Santiago, Chile. (Newsflash)

But instead of taking him to hospital, his boss took him to the home of Alfredo and Pablo Salinas – the pastors of the church – in nearby Renca.

His furious daughter Gissele told local media: “Instead of taking him to a medical centre, he took him to pastors Alfredo Salinas and Pablo Salinas. To their house.”

There, the pastors prayed over him for five hours before taking him to another pastor on the other side of the city, where all three prayed together.

Picture shows one of the church employs accused of preventing treatment, undated. A pastor did not help Pedro Carvajal who suffered from a cardiovascular accident instead prayed for 7 hours before taking him to a hospital, because he believed it was a spiritual issue, in Santiago, Chile. (Newsflash)

Gissele said: “They kept him there from nine in the morning to two in the afternoon. Then they transferred him to another therapist pastor.”

She added: “The only thing he wanted was to be taken to a hospital, but he couldn’t express it.”

Gissele told local media: “They wanted to pray because they thought my dad was possessed of the devil and that he had committed a sin.”

One of the pastors finally took Pedro to Hospital Felix Bulnes back in Quinta Normal at around 4pm, where medics found he had suffered a stroke.

But by that point, he had lost all his memory and was unable to walk.

On visiting him in hospital, his daughter Claudia said he was so scared and confused that he could not even remember his name or age or even recognise his family members.

Church security guard Pedro Carvajal, (middle) and unidentified people pose in undated photo. A pastor did not help the man who suffered from a cardiovascular accident instead prayed for 7 hours before taking him to a hospital, because he believed it was a spiritual issue, in Santiago, Chile. (Newsflash)

All medical authorities worldwide recognise the importance of getting treatment for a stroke as soon as possible.

Immediate treatment can minimise the severity of the stroke and lead to a quicker recovery.

Pedro is now recovering at home and his four daughters are worried he may never regain his memory or even walk again.

Alfredo and Pablo claimed to local media that they did not take Pedro to hospital because he showed no symptoms.

They claimed that only his behaviour was unusual because he was crying and constantly asking God for forgiveness.

Picture shows a poster of the pastor with the word ‘killer’ written on it, undated. A pastor did not help Pedro Carvajal who suffered from a cardiovascular accident instead prayed for 7 hours before taking him to a hospital, because he believed it was a spiritual issue, in Santiago, Chile. (Newsflash)

But Claudia told local media that one of the few things her father remembered in hospital was having vomited earlier in the day, contradicting the pastors’ account.

Claudia and her sisters are now looking into taking legal action against the churchmen for negligence.

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