Monthly Archives: May 2021

Good Samaritans step in to bring food to corona patients, families

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Education, FREE : Food, , , , ,

With Covid cases surging, people are making doorstep delivery of meals to affected people.

Darjeeling, WEST BENGAL / NEW DELHI :

Mohammad Aman Qurashi is providing meals to 20-25 persons every day | Express

New Delhi : 

With the national capital feeling the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, several individuals and socio-religious groups are stepping up to provide doorstep delivery of cooked meals for the patients and their families. Some are even providing home-cooked food. After seeing several Covid-19 patients struggling for a healthy diet during their treatment, 31-year-old Raghav Pal Mandal revived his non-profit organisation— Youth Welfare Association (Delhi) to supply food to them.   

Raghav, who owns two start-ups, and his team of 36 volunteers are giving free food to nearly 200 people every day in different neighbourhoods in south Delhi.“The food is cooked at the homes of our volunteers as per their convenience and financial positions. Some arrange for 10 families every day while others are providing for 2-5 people. A vendor is also supporting us in this endeavour delivering 50 packets for free. The rest are handed over by the volunteers personally. A couple of people are helping with disposable food containers,” he said. 

Mohammad Aman Qurashi, 23, a student living in Jamia Nagar, mobilises resources individually and supplies meals to 20-25 persons every day in his neighbourhood. He seeks monetary help from friends and acquaintances. The food is prepared at a local mess run by a woman who was virtually out of work due to lockdown.“I provide a basic menu—chapati, daal and rice. I collect parcels and deliver them on my motorcycle to the Covid patients in need,” said Qurashi, who is from Darjeeling and pursuing post-graduation in business administration in the city. He has also been assisting a group of volunteers in Okhla, which organises oxygen refill for people.

“I am living alone in Delhi. Therefore, I understand how difficult it is to arrange food. This becomes more difficult when you are in isolation and down with Covid. I started this initiative and now my friends and other residents are extending help,” he said.Satish Upadhyay, former president of Delhi Unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his team are sending food packets to about 600 city residents– mainly senior citizens or elderly who are staying alone and unable to get stuff home delivered.

Vikram Mittal, one of the volunteers of the team and in charge of the Greater Kailash area, said that several kitchens had been made operational and are serving foods to only Covid-affected people at different locations.“The offer is exclusively for people who couldn’t cook themselves or can’t afford. Separate in-charges have been appointed for different kitchens in Chandni Chowk, Janakpuri, Dwarka, Greater Kailash and several other locations,” said Mittal.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Parvez Sultan, Express News Service / April 27th, 2021

Kochi businessman gives away 15 tempos for Covid fight, turns them into ambulances

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Transport, Travel & Tourism, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , ,

Thrikkakara (Palakkad) / Kochi, KERALA :

“I wondered if there is something I can do. My vehicles have been lying in the garage for months now, why not use them, I thought,” said Najeeb.

Najeeb in front of his tempo traveller that was recently converted into a Covid care ambulance by attaching first-aid kits and stretchers

Kochi : 

At a time when the state is grappling with the second wave of Covid, a Kochiite who owns a fleet of tempo travellers has decided to convert his vehicles into Covid-care ambulances, given the shortage of facilities in the district.

Recently, Najeeb Vellakal who hails from Thrikkakara himself faced a crisis when he couldn’t get a vehicle to drop his Covid positive staff to his hometown in Palakkad.  He converted one of his 20 tempo travellers under Zainul Travels into a Covid ambulance to drop his staff. “I removed all the seats except the long one in the back.

I bought a PPE kit for the driver and separated the driver’s cabin using a plastic sheet and dropped the Covid positive person in Palakkad,” said Najeeb, who has been in the vehicle  rental business for over 20 years. The incident, however, left him pondering over the struggles of common people during the pandemic. “I wondered if there is something I can do. My vehicles have been lying in the garage for months now, why not use them, I thought,” said Najeeb.

“It costs around Rs 10,000 to convert a traveller into an ambulance by adding stretchers, fixing oxygen cylinders and first aid kits,” he added. On a trial basis, the Ernakulam mayor suggested converting one vehicle into a Covid ambulance. 

“I am willing to convert the rest of my 15 vehicles into Covid ambulances if they agree,” Najeeb said. He also said that the ambulance will only charge an affordable rent from people, enough to pay the driver and get fuel.  The 43-year-old  has been working at Kakkanad Infopark arranging transportation for its employees. His business has been dull since work-from-home became the new norm.

You may contact Najeeb on 7907034416

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Aishwarya Prabhakaran, Express News Service / April 28th, 2021

Aligarh Muslim University loses 3 faculty members & 5 retired professors to Covid-19

COVID 19 - Fatalities, Education, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

Agra :

Just this week, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has lost three faculty members and five retired professors to Covid-19 or after showing symptoms.

The university has been swamped with cases in the past few days — 30 faculty and staff members have tested positive and been admitted to AMU’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, as have 12 consultants, 20 resident doctors and some paramedical staff members of the medical college.

AMU officials said noted critic and senior faculty member at the department of Urdu Prof Maula Bakhsh Ansari, 58; faculty member of the Sunni theology section Prof Ehsanullah Fahad, 50, and in-charge of leather and footwear technology section at University Polytechnic AMU Saeed Uzzaman, 51, were serving faculty members who died in the past two days.

“Prof Ansari had been admitted to a private hospital and died within a few days on Wednesday (April 21). He had not been tested for Covid-19, but he had symptoms of the disease,” said former director of the Urdu Academy AMU, Rahat Abrar . Ansari had been working on six projects of books on stylistics, critical studies and cultural studies. They are yet to be published.

Fahad, meanwhile, had been admitted to AMU’s medical college for Covid-19 treatment. “After his report came back negative, he was moved to the non-Covid ward. But he died two days later of post-Covid complications,” medical college principal Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqui said. He, too, died on Wednesday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / Agra News / by Anuja Jaiswal, TNN / April 24th, 2021

Bhopal auto driver sells wife’s jewellery, converts vehicle into free ambulance for Covid patients

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Healthcare / Assistance, Transport, Travel & Tourism, , ,

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH:

Javed Khan said he and his wife often saw painful visuals over TV, showing people die in the want of ambulance and also having to pay hefty sums to get the ambulances.

Javed Khan with his autorickshaw-ambulance in Bhopal (Photo | Special arrangement)

Bhopal :

A 34-year-old autorickshaw driver in MP capital has turned his bread-winning vehicle into free ambulance service. 

Meet Javed Khan, the Aishbag resident, who since the last three days has saved at least 15 lives by timely rushing them free of cost to different hospitals of Bhopal — which is among the top two Covid hotspots of MP.

Khan, the father of three kids (two daughters and a son), who also takes care of his three daily wage labourer brothers (who don’t have jobs owing to the corona curfew) sold his wife’s gold necklace for Rs 5,000 to fund his mission of rendering the free auto-rickshaw ambulance to Covid and other patients.

“I stocked three months’ ration for my family and subsequently used the money secured by selling wife’s necklace to fund the conversion of the autorickshaw into an ambulance. The 7 kg oxygen cylinder fitted in the auto-rickshaw has been gifted by social activist Bharti Jain,” Khan told The New Indian Express on Friday.

“Besides selling my wife’s chain, I’ve also stopped the payment of the instalment of Rs 10,500 on the purchase of the auto-rickshaw to ensure that my ambulance continues to run effectively and my family too doesn’t have any problems in the coming days. Some people have donated Rs 1,500 which too is helping my cause,” said Khan.

The money has been used to refill the cylinder, buy pulse oxymeter, sanitizer and  PPE kits and other protective gear to keep himself safe.

According to the father of three kids, for whom the auto-rickshaw was the lone bread-winner, he and wife often saw painful visuals over TV, showing people die in the want of ambulance and also having to pay hefty sums to get the ambulances.

“In agreement with my wife, I decided to start the autorickshaw-ambulance service which can be availed by anyone just by dialling my cell number 7999909494. In the last three days, I’ve rushed 15 Covid patients to hospitals, including AIIMS-BHOPAL, Hamidia Hospital and Paliwal Hospital. Even if people are willing to pay me, I tell them that this is for the human cause during the holy month of Ramzan,” Khan said.

While Khan is the lone autorickshaw driver to start this service, he also claims that there are 10-12 more autorickshaw drivers in the city, who are ready to operate a similar service if supported by generous donors.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Anuraag Singh / Express News Service / April 30th, 2021