Belagavi, KARNATAKA :

Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are helping poor patients battle COVID-19 by providing them free oxygen cylinders.

The Anjuman-e-Islam committee in Belagavi has tied up with industrial gas industries and plans to provide oxygen cylinders to the needy. The committee will provide 120 cylinders in the first phase. It plans to increase the numbers in the next few weeks.

“Our members wanted to help society in some way in the battle against COVID-19. Some of us observed that the number of bodies being cremated in the city had nearly doubled. We were getting around two bodies per day before June. But in recent weeks, it had shot up to four bodies per day. This was alarming and we decided to join the government’s efforts in helping patients,” committee chairman Raju Seth.

“A background study helped us understand that a large number of patients were from poor families. Some of them could not afford industrial oxygen supply, especially if they were home quarantined and needed cylinders. We have enlisted the services of volunteers and are providing door delivery of cylinders,” Mr. Seth said.

“We are supplying cylinders to people from all communities and faiths. We also have a list of doctors on call. We are sending them to the houses of those with symptoms who want advice on the epidemic, like whether they need a test or if they should choose a hospital or should stay home,” Mr. Seth said.

Residents of Belagavi and nearby areas can contact the committee’s volunteers Samiullah Madiwale on Ph: 7676686778 or Ameen Pattekari on Ph: 7676513526.

Holistic services

In Bidar, a group of organisations has come together to provide holistic services to people of the city and nearby areas. A helpline has been set up for free counselling and medical advice. The group can be contacted through Amir Pasha on Ph: 886197540, Yousuf Raheem on Ph: 9845628595 or M. Asaduddin on Ph: 7975298728.

Whenever a family feels that one of its members is having symptoms indicative of COVID-19, it can call these numbers to get its doubts clarified.

Then, a group of two volunteers will go to the family’s house with a pulse oximeter and a pamphlet on managing the disease.

Already, the volunteers have supplied around 50 cylinders and provided free counselling to 60 families till now. The group has also pressed into service two ambulances to ferry patients to hospital and to take them back home. All these services are given free.

Other organisations such as the Idgah Committee, Alimoddin Foundation, Rahim Khan Trust, Safa Baitul Maal, Jamiat Ahle Hadees, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pharmacists Association have joined hands in these efforts.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Belagavi – August 03rd, 2020