Category Archives: COVID 19 – Community of Soldiers

Mangaluru: Muslim welfare association, Bahrain distributes food kits to Covid victims`

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Food, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, , , ,

Bahrain :

Mangaluru :

Bahrain based Dakshina Kannada Muslim welfare association distributed food kits to Covid-19 victims at Kote mansion, Valencia here on Sunday, August 30.

Karnataka NRI forum Bahrain president Leeladhar Bykampady was the chief guest for the programme. Food kits were distributed to about 100 people.

World Kannada cultural conference committee founder president K P Manjunath Sagar said that the Dakshina Kannada Muslim welfare association has been relentlessly indulged in social work since its inception.

Former MCC deputy mayor Saleem, Dakshina Kannada Muslim welfare association vice president Ummar and founder member Moidin were the guests of honor. Former MCC mayor Ashraf who presided over the programme said that the welfare association has continuously helped poor people and is a model organization.

Programme convenor Mubarak was on the dais. Port trader Mohsin Bava welcomed the gathering while author Dr Kasargod Ashok Kumar compeered the programme. Sayyed Bahrain rendered the vote of thanks. 

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Rons Bantwal / Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP) – September 01st, 2020

Fearless autorickshaw driver turns hero for COVID-19 patients

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

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Fearless autorickshaw driver turns hero for COVID-19 patients

Hyderabad: 

At a time when people are turning on their old parents or sick family members, a 48-year-old auto driver, Mohammed Khalid , has become a hero of sorts for those who are dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike most others who would think twice before ferrying across patients, Khalid has been providing service to COVID-19 patients those who require transportation.

Mohammed, since July 13 has been only providing transportation to people from Gandhi Hospital to private and government hospitals as and when required.  Moreover, he also privodes service to COVID-19 patients to others from any part of Hyderabad as well. “This is the time to help people in need, irrespective of cast and culture I have been regularly ferrying COVID-19 patients from Gandhi Hospital to Osmania, King Koti, and Fever Hospital,” stated Khalid.

Mohammed Khalid ensures safety measures for his passengers.

Even after the Centre relaxed lockdown rules a few months (post May) ago, there has been a dearth in passengers, recalled Khalid. “So on July 13 I went near Gandhi Hospital in Musheerabad, the main treatment centre for COVID-19 patients, and noticed that emergency patients were unable to get ambulance services as there were many cases. Then I decided to start service for them at affordable rates,” said Khalid.

The 48-year-old believes that in these difficult times, we must help each other irrespective of any religion, caste or creed. “Sab jane dare to kaisa jo log bimaar hai unlo ku kaun lekar jainga dawakhano ku (If everyone is scared, then  how will people travel to the hospital)” Khalid rhetorically questioned? He has a point however, as several citizens have been complaining of slow or lack of ambulance services.

Mohammed Khalid provides service to COVID-19 patients at Gandhi Hospital in Musheerabad.

The auto rickshaw driver is also not scared of the pandemic. Furthermore, going and waiting for passengers in front of Gandhi makes him proud of what he is doing. “Carrying a patient itself is a matter of pride for me, and sharing the happiness with those who have recovered is amazing,” Khalid added. He also felt that the Telangana government should provide some monetary relief or schemes for autorickshaw drivers, as they have also been hit hard due to the lockdown.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad News / by Mohammed Hussain / August 24th, 2020

Rahat Indori’s death an ‘unquantifiable loss’, says Gulzar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Uncategorized, Videos, , , ,

MADHYA PRADESH :

Gulzar said Rahat Indori was in total rapport with the new generation and times.


Legendary poet Rahat Indori passed away on Tuesday. (Photo: Express Archive, Rahat Indori/Twitter)

Noted lyricist-poet Gulzar said the death of Urdu poet Rahat Indori, who passed away following a heart attack on Tuesday, is a loss which cannot be quantified.

Indori, 70, was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday morning in Indore after he tested positive for COVID-19.

“It is an unquantifiable loss. He was one of a kind. It’s as if somebody has left a void in our Urdu mushairas which can never be filled. Woh jagah ko khali kar ke chale gaye. It is not a big loss, it is a total loss,” he told PTI.

He remembered Indori as someone who would steal the thunder at mushairas (poetry symposium).

“Wo toh lutera tha mushairon ka. A happy-go-lucky man who was the ‘jaan’ (soul) of mushairas,” Gulzar said.

Gulzar said Indori was in total rapport with the new generation and times.

“He was very relevant. People of all ages used to wait for his turn at mushairas. One mostly comes across romantic shers in mushairas, but all his work that he read was about the sociopolitical and contemporary climate,” he added.

Asked when he last spoke to Indori, the 85-year-old legendary lyricist said it is difficult to recollect, but it seems as if they spoke just the other day.

Gulzar said his friend, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who worked with Indori on Mission Kashmir, would often tell him about work, including his songs Bumbro and Dhuaan Dhuaan on the 2000 film.

“I would love it and talk to him (Indori). Jab bhi koi aacha sher sunn liya, phone kar liya, daad de di (Whenever I would hear a good sher by him, I’d call him up to congratulate him),” he remembered.

With a 50-year career in poetry, Indori was known for the lyrics of songs like Dekh Le from Chopra’s Munnabhai MBBS ”(2003), Chori Chori Jab Nazrein Mili from Kareeb (1998), and Koi Jaye to Le Aaye from Ghatak (1996 ), and Neend Churai Meri from Ishq (1997). His lyrics were used in 11 Bollywood films.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by PTI, Mumbai / August 12th, 2020

NGOs join hands with the govt. in the fight against pandemic

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Belagavi, KARNATAKA :

Volunteers from Anjuman-e-Islam preparing oxygen cylinders to be distributed free to COVID-19 patients in Belagavi

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

Irfan Pathan Aids 60 Families Ravaged By Bihar Floods With Mother Teresa Foundation

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Sports, , , , , , ,

Vadodara, GUJARAT :

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is the first cricketer to come forward to help the people who have been severely affected by floods in Bihar and Assam.

Image : Irfan Pathan Instagram

India has been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with over 1.8 million people being tested positive for the deadly virus. To make matters worse, the states of Bihar and Assam are also tussling with floods for over two months now. Both states have been gravely affected by the floods with lakhs of people being forced to displace themselves and take shelter in relief camps. As many as 38,47,531 people have been impacted across Bihar and more than 25,000 people have taken to shelter homes. 

Bihar and Assam floods: Irfan Pathan donates ration to 60 families

Amidst these testing times, the Mother Teresa Foundation has come to the rescue of people in Assam and Bihar in their fight against the catastrophe. The foundation has been urging prominent personalities from the Bollywood and the cricketing fraternity to come forward and help them in the noble cause.

And the first cricketer to come forward to help the people affected by floods in Bihar and Assam is former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. The same was confirmed by Yahya Rahmani, who is a part of the Mother Teresa Foundation. Rahmani has also been involved in organizing Flood Donation Drive across Bihar. While speaking to Crictracker, Rahmani said that Irfan Pathan donated ration to 60 families of Bihar’s flood-affected people. He added that the packet consisted of essential items like Chana, Chura, Daal, Oil, Dettol and Rice.

This is not the first time that Irfan Pathan has come forward to help those in need. In fact, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan distributed 10,000 kg rice and 700 kg potatoes to the daily wage labourers in Baroda who were finding it difficult to make their ends meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan had also distributed face masks to the public.

What is Irfan Pathan net worth?

According to trendcelebsnow.com, Irfan Pathan net worth is estimated to be around US$5 million (approximately ₹38 crore). His net worth comprises of his earnings from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a former Indian cricket player. It also comprises of his various Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts with teams like Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad among other franchises whom he represented over the years.

Disclaimer: The above Irfan Pathan net worth information from the Irfan Pathan House details is sourced from various websites and media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the figures.

source: http://www.republicworld.com / Republic World.com / Home> Sports News> Cricket News / by Jatin Malu / August 03rd, 2020

Munaf Patel Sets up Coronavirus Centre in his Village; Former Teammates Praise Efforts

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Sports, ,

Ikhar village (Bharuch District), GUJARAT :

After hanging up his boots, he decided to live in his village. People lovingly call him Munna in Ikhar.

Former India cricketer Munaf Patel has informed that they are starting COVID-19 centre in their village Ikhar, located in Bharuch district of Gujarat.

Patel took to Instagram to spread the word about their new initiative. Sharing pictures of the newly set up COVID-19 centre, Patel thanked the health department and government officials.

The cricketer, who was the part of 2011 World Cup winning team, received appreciation from his former colleagues. Responding to his post, Gautam Gambhir asked him to keep up the good work. Gambhir said, “We are in it together.”

Pragyan Ojha replied “Well done Patel,” while Yuvraj Singh wrote, “Great work sarfi.”

In April, when four people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bharuch district, Patel decided to spread the message of social distancing to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, reported The Indian Express.

The local administration in view of the situation at that time asked the fast bowler, who is an influential figure in the region, to explain to people the importance of physical distancing.

Patel told the national daily that their village was sealed after surfacing four COVID-19 cases, adding that the panchayat and the committee which he is part of made sure that essential items reached homes.

He advised people in his village and district to not stay in groups and wash hands at regular intervals to keep the infection at bay.

After hanging up his boots, he decided to live in his village. People lovingly call him Munna in Ikhar.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> Cricket Next / by Trending Desk / July 29th, 2020

Al Hamd, Mesco commence COVID relief operations in Hyderabad

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Education, SCHOLARSHIPS, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

“God forbid, if the patient dies, we have also kept arrangements in place to shift the body to the graveyard and also to look into other formalities like shroud, etc,” added Dr. Fakhruddin.

Hyderabad :

Al Hamd and Mesco led by Dr. Md. Fakhruddin Sahab and Abdul Azeem has initiated COVID relief operations. The team will function round the clock in the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad.

The team will be fully equipped with operational vehicles after a formal inauguration on 3 August, the operations then will begin in full swing. People can access their services through the helpline number 8008834011.

People of Hyderabad are panicked and confused with the way COVID is being managed in the state. Hospitals remain overcrowded with no beds available and the people are at a loss not knowing what to do. In such a scenario, Hyderabad is likely to explode, more so after Bakrid, predict some health care professionals.

Al Hamd and Mesco have jointly come to relief, especially the poor, marginalized sections of society from this mess. While several are unaware of being asymptotic or symptomatic others take it easy thinking they are invincible.

Equipment, arrangements in place

The team of Al Hamd and Mesco will focus more on preventing the spread of the disease. Talking to Clarion India, Dr. Fakhruddin, who is leading the team and is also the general secretary of the Mesco Foundation, said, “We will create awareness and educate the people on how to prevent the spread of the disease. And then among the identified cases, we will educate the attendants how to take care of themselves as they are taking care of the patient during home quarantine.”

“The medicinal sachets to be distributed in the containment zones will contain everything a COVID patient and his/her attendant needs. The sachet contains different packets for different uses such as a packet containing personal protection equipment such as soaps, gloves, masks, sanitisers. Another packet has immunity-boosting drugs such as tablets of vitamin C, Zinc, B complex, paracetamol, thermometer, pulse oxy-meter. The third packet will have virus-specific treatment medicines such as anti-biotic and other medicines as prescribed by the doctor.”

“Everything has been thought of. Even the attendant will be given a kit containing face shield, goggles, cap, shoe covers, masks. These will be available in the Mesco office and also delivered at doorstep as per the necessity,” added Dr. Fakhruddin.

Ambulance services are also available if the patient is critical. “And, God forbid, if the patient dies, we have also kept arrangements in place to shift the body to the graveyard and also to look into other formalities like shroud, etc,” added Dr. Fakhruddin keeping in mind the difficulties people are facing after the death of a COVID-infected person.

Since the team is operating low profile as of now, only people from the containment zones in the old city of Hyderabad are being taken care of as they are reluctant to get tested due to various rumours. The cost of test along with the treatment is crossing the margins of common men.

“The infection is spreading due to lack of knowledge, overconfidence among the people and carelessness. If one person in the family is infected, other family members are vulnerable. We plan to educate them about the initial symptoms which they should not ignore and start treatment soon even if they do not go for tests.”

“In 90% of the cases timely treatment has saved lives. Our main aim is to save patients from hospitalisation as much as possible. Many people are working to fight COVID and our work is also complementing these efforts. We have sought permission from the Drug Control Authority to supply oxygen as the Government of India has authorised the same,” said Dr Fakhruddin.

Call Centre

The volunteers at the call centre will receive the calls and counsel the people guiding them about the preventive methods and also train them to use the kits, especially using the thermometer and the pulse oxy-meter.

“Wrong readings of the oxy-meter have caused panic among the people. So, It is important to train the people on reading the thermometer, oxy-meter and ways to monitor the patient and sanitise as much as possible the articles used by the patient. We have also included tissues and wet wipes in the kit so they can dispose of them.” Dr Fakhruddin explained.

Economic situation analysed

“The medicinal sachets are given for a very nominal amount. Doorstep deliveries will be done to study the economic situation of the family. If the family is very poor, the team will also ensure they receive ration and other essentials. Thus, along with health care, even food supplies are provided,” Clarion India said.

For tests, the team has tied up with some diagnostic centres in the city which will charge the patients referred by the Al Hamd-Mesco team at a subsidised rate.

MPLAD funds

The team is also trying to rope in MLAs to use the MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds for this relief operation. Their work is already in the process of duplication in other states where the MLAs have come forward to provide financial assistance.

“A manual has been prepared which we have sent to other philanthropic institutions and doctors so they can also start relief operations at the earliest. We all need to work together irrespective of caste, creed and religion,” Dr Fakhruddin explained saying that the Mesco Foundation had been doing philanthropic activities for the past several decades now.

300 doctors and parademics

The organisation have a team of 300 doctors and trained paramedics as volunteers at the call centre to deliver the kits and to drive the vehicles.

The Al Hamd Charitable Trust which is sponsoring the entire operation cost is located in Secunderabad. The Trust chairperson and founder, Abdul Azeem Mohammed, said, “We are filling in the gap of the lapses in the way COVID is being handled by both the government and the corporate hospitals. While the corporate hospitals are fleecing the patients, the government hospitals are not fully quipped.”

“The relief operation process is very scientific but schematic. When a person calls on the helpline, it gets connected to the IT-based WhatsApp location logger and to the computer for the patient record maintenance. The coordinator who receives the call after taking the details connects to the doctor as per the need.

The required kit is then delivered to the home of the caller by the paramedics who will also check on the patient and see if there is a need for oxygen. The paramedics go along with oxygen concentrators if there is a need so that no time is wasted in making arrangements for an oxygen cylinder. Medicines for symptomatic or asymptomatic patients are prescribed by highly-qualified doctors,” said Abdul Azeem.

“We have no non-medical staff because every single person associated in this relief operation is trained. So we have medical and paramedical staff”, Abdul Azeem told Clarion India.

“We ensure sanitisation at the office. The staff is also in uniform and equipped with all precautionary devices. We want the attendant of the COVID patient also to be healthy so we have designed a kit for them as well.

The most important feature of this relief operation is a mobile ICU which is owned by a handful of hospitals in the city. The mobile ICU has a ventilator, defibrillator, ECG, Oxygen concentrator, etc.

Another important feature that has been designed for the mobile ICU is the dead body carrier which is a freezer and will be inserted perpendicular to the driver’s cabin,” Abdul Azeem added.

The Mesco Foundation runs 5 schools in Hyderabad. The foundation has Pharmacy College in Hyderabad. Apart from educational institutes, they also have healthcare services at nominal costs, and take up relief work during natural disasters.

Al Hamd Foundation is a charitable trust to help the poor, needy people through old-age homes, food distribution, healthcare, blood banks, scholarships for poor students, etc.

Both the foundations collaborate for most of their projects regarding healthcare. While Mesco provides technical support, the financing and manning are done by the Al Hamd Foundation.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Sana Sikander / July 07th, 2020

MP Inaugurates Comprehensive COVID Care At Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Karnataka (under research project), Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, who heads COVID-19 Task Force for Narasimharaja Assembly Constituency, this morning inaugurated the Comprehensive COVID Care facility set up at Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital (BAMH) on Old Mysuru-Bengaluru Road. The Hospital has been converted into a modern 75-bed hospital and can be extended to 100 beds. 

Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital has tied up with Brindavan Hospital for this initiative and the facility will be entirely managed by Brindavan Hospital. It has facilities including Intensive Care Units, Surgery and Haemodialysis, ventilator support and even can handle child birth cases of COVID-infected pregnant women.

The Brindavan Hospital and the Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital will be treated as one hospital and as the State Government has mandated all Private Hospitals in the State to hand over their 50 percent of the beds to COVID care, all the beds at Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital will be reserved for COVID patients and all the non-COVID patients will be treated at Brindavan Hospital. 

MP Pratap Simha inaugurating the Comprehensive COVID Care facility at the hospital along with Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital President Iqbal Ahmed.

A team of specialist doctors, technicians and paramedical staff will run the Hospital with utmost precautions to help the District Administration in its efforts to control the pandemic. Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital President Iqbal Ahmed, Dr. M.R. Aiyappa, General Physician and Diabetologist and Dr. Ravindranath, Orthopaedician at Brindavan Hospital, Dr. K. Javed Nayeem, Dr. Mohan, Dr. Imran and others were present.

Disinfectant tunnel 

On the occasion, a unique disinfectant tunnel was inaugurated by the MP where liquid is not sprayed on the entrants but are fumigated with thick smoke. The smoke is, however safe to inhale. The tunnel has been installed by S3V Technologies and is called ‘3V Safe Tunnel’. Impressed by the tunnel, MP Pratap Simha asked the company representatives to demonstrate the tunnel to Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar so that such facilities can be installed at all the other COVID Care Centres, and hospitals. 

MP Pratap Simha seen exiting a unique disinfectant tunnel where people are fumigated at Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital this morning.

Protest held, withdrawn 

A group of five to six people claiming to be members of Waqf Board in Mysuru objected to the conversion of Bibi Ayesha Milli Hospital into a COVID Hospital. Claiming to be the owners of the building and the property where the hospital stands, the members protested. They objected for the commercial use of the Hospital and at the same time said that the hospital is located in a thickly populated area and there is a danger of virus spreading. 

Narasimharaja Sub-Division ACP Shivashankar, Inspector Shekhar and Pratap Simha intervened in the protest and asked the Waqf Board members to withdraw the stir. They told the protesters that real estate matters could be sorted out in other platforms later.

The Hospital has been taken over as COVID-19 is a national disaster and people who object to such issued can be booked under National Disaster Management Act, they said. The protest was later withdrawn. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Covid-19> News / July 24th, 2020

‘We don’t charge a single rupee’: These volunteers have buried over 100 COVID-19 victims

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Karnataka (under research project), , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Wasim and 22 other men are part of NGO Helping Hands and they stay at the burial ground till 10 pm, doing what even family members of relatives are scared to do – burying COVID-19 victims’ bodies.

The team has completed over 100 burials of COVID-19 victims till date. (Photo | Shriram BN, EPS)

Wasim Zubair’s day begins with his prayers after which he heads to the burial ground at Quddus Saheb Edgar at 5.30 am to get a list of the deceased who will be brought for their last rites. 

Wasim and 22 other men are part of NGO Helping Hands and they stay at the burial ground till 10 pm, doing what even some family members are scared to do – burying COVID-19 victims.

The task is tiring as they have to sweat it out wearing their PPE kits, which they have to constantly change after each burial. There is no incentive for them to do this, not to mention the risk they run of contracting the infection.

Ask them why they do it and Abdul Muheeb, founder of NGO Helping Hands, says, “In April, we locals would see families struggling to carry the dead body of their relatives as very few people were turning up for the last rites fearing coronavirus. Seeing them helpless, and some of them not in the right state of mind while bidding farewell to their near and dear ones made us want to help. The happiness we get when we help them perform the last rites is unparalleled.”

Photo | Shriram BN, EPS

The team has completed over 100 burials of COVID-19 victims till date.

“We see fear of the virus that has gripped people world over, so much so that I witnessed the son of a dead father not wanting to perform the last rites. We tell one or two family members to join us so they know where the grave is. We give them PPE kits as well,” Muheeb said.

Wasim has seen several instances of brothers, sons and grandsons of elderly COVID-19 victims hesitating at the gates of the burial ground.

A cloth of 10 metres by 10 metres is placed on the ground, one horizontally and the other vertically. With the help of the handles of the body bag, they lift the body from the stretcher on to the cloth.

They then lift the cloth and lower the body into the grave. The stretcher is then sanitised and the last Namaz also done as per religious norms.

The JCB digs 30 pits at the burial ground in advance at the beginning of each day. 

Thankfully, none of the volunteers have contracted the virus so far.

Wasim says they take the necessary precautions and avoid getting too close to the body or even the primary contacts of the dead person.

“Most of our team members are youngsters. Our tagline is ‘Making it possible by his grace’. We spend our money on PPE kits but sometimes people donate a few kits to us. We don’t charge the family a single rupee,” Wasim said, speaking to The New Indian Express  even as three funerals were taking place on Tuesday afternoon.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Ranjani Madhavan / Express News Service / July 22nd, 2020

Malegaon shows the way

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Green Products, Leaders, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , , , ,

Malegaon (Nashik District) , MAHARASHTRA :

Life in Malegaon appears to have retur­ned to normal, even as Maharashtra struggles to contain the pandemic. As of July 15, the state had 107,963 active cases, with 10,695 deaths.

A new normal: Healthcare workers on a door-to-door Covid-19 test drive in Malegaon, July 14. / Photo by Milind Shelte

The covid-19 battle

On July 14, Malegaon’s Moha­mmad Ali Road, the city’s main commercial street, was full of shoppers, mirroring the sort of normalcy seen in days before the national lockdown in March, and presenting a stark contrast to the fearful retreat from public spaces seen in many areas of Maharashtra. The shops were open, selling everything from cutlery to electronics, and the restaurants and street food vendors were busy serving crowds of customers. Burqa-clad women thron­ged the ladies’ market. Life in Malegaon appears to have retur­ned to normal, even as Maharashtra struggles to contain the pandemic. As of July 15, the state had 107,963 active cases, with 10,695 deaths.

Malegaon’s return to normalcy is striking and worthy of note because, till recently, the city was one of the state’s five Covid hotspots, alongside Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad. Until May, the city had seen a daily average of five deaths due to Covid-19, and reported about 200 fresh cases in the early part of that month. Today, there are just 60 active cases in the city, most of them non-residents of Malegaon, with no coronavirus-linked deaths since May 25. The doubling period has improved from 2.2 days in April to 112 days on July 15, the best in Maharashtra. At 82 per cent, the rate of recovery in Malegaon is also much better than the state average (54 per cent). The turnaround was so hard to miss that, in the first week of July, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent a confidential letter to the state government, asking for permission to study the ‘Malegaon model’.

Mal­egaon is a Muslim-majority city (80 per cent residents are from the minority community), with a population of 750,000. The city administration’s success in controlling the pandemic is especially laudable given that the average population density here is 19,000 per sq. km, the state’s highest. In areas like Kamanipura, this goes up to 72,000 per sq. km, second only to Mumbai’s Dharavi, where 800,000 live in a 2.1 sq. km area. Maintaining physical distance, the standard-format safety protocol to avoid infection, is then practically impossible. The Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) was also working with severe limitations, it still does not have a single ventilator.

Municipal commissioner Deepak Kasar says the MMC was struggling on two fronts. First, it had to tackle a staff shortage, with many workers refusing to report to work for fear of being infected. This even led to the MMC being unable to make use of the ambulances provided by the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, an NGO focused on disaster response. Second, Kasar says convincing people to come forward for screening, testing and quarantine was a Herculean task, especially since a communally sensitive environment had been created in the initial days of the pandemic.

The MMC’s task was made much more complicated by rumours on social media, one of which was that the coronavirus screening efforts were a conspiracy against Muslims. This led to people refusing to be tested and even attacks on MMC health workers who were conducting screening tests. In the last week of April and the first week of May, six ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers suff­ered burns after being attacked with boiling water. Many residents also reportedly refused to give their real names and symptoms to health workers. Superstition played its part, for instance, many believe the dead will not reach heaven if their eyes are open, leading to people touching infected bodies and increasing the risk of transmission. Another tradition requires women from households in which a death has taken place to isolate themselves for four months and eight days, this complicated contact tracing.

To address these problems, Kasar appealed to community leaders for help, especially the influential Mufti and local MLA Mohammad Ismail. Leaders like Ismail made appeals at mosques for people to stay at home and to cooperate with the MMC health workers. As a result, people increasingly came to see that the administration’s efforts were genuine, leading to more and more coming forward for testing. The success of the appeals to stay home was clearly visible on Eid-ul-Fitr (May 25). Malegaon’s Idgah Maidan was deserted, normally around 300,000 people gather here to offer prayers on the holy day.

Another initiative was to enlist community members for outreach, to spread information about the virus. Kasar roped in students of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, aware that they were trusted within the communities. A Unani concoction called mansura kadha, with claimed immunity-boosting properties, prepared by the local Mohammadia Tibbia College, also played a bit role; the trust that runs the college has received requests for some 250,000 packets. The MMC also made short informational videos and uploaded them on YouTube, aiming to improve awareness about the coronavirus among Malegaon’s younger residents, especially women. Also important were the MMC’s efforts to give vulnerable households the resources they needed for home isolation. “We provided oxygen cylinders, though the police department was against the move,” says Kasar.

Maulana Imtiaz Ahmed Iqbal Ahmed, secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in Malegaon, says the comm­unity “scored over the fear factor…the mohalla clinics were the game-changer”. Kasar also points out that the success did not come at a major financial cost. “We did not send any patients to private hospitals, so the treatment bill was zero. We also spent less than Rs 20 lakh in the past two months on arrangements for quarantine and treatment,” he says. This stands in stark contrast to the efforts of other municipal corporations in the state; Pune has budgeted Rs 294 crore to fight Covid-19 for a population of about 4 million. Kasar says Malegaon has not only shown a decrease in Covid-19 cases but also other diseases, including those affecting the heart, lungs and kidneys. The ICMR study, once completed, will be submitted to a committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MMC’s efforts have not only improved the health of Malegaon’s citizens, it has also rehabilitated the city’s reputation. Home to a local film indu­stry and a textile cluster with around 125,000 power looms, Malegaon attr­acted some bad press in the noughties for being communally charged, a riot in 2001 and bomb blasts in 2006 and 2008 seemed to lend credence to its reputation for being volatile. But it has moved on since, and now with the success of the ‘Malegaon model’, it has built a case for an image makeover.

source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Magazine> UP Front / by Kiran D Tare / New Delhi, July 18th, 2020