Harjinder Singh, the 76-year-old auto-driver is running free ambulance in Delhi for 40 years & has saved many lives till now.
Thankyou Sardarji
Category: Individuals
Javed Khan (Bhopal) converted his vehicle into an ambulance
This auto-rickshaw driver, Javed Khan, in Bhopal has converted his vehicle into an ambulance, complete with oxygen, and he serves people for free. Khan spends around Rs 600 a day filling up oxygen.
Javed Khan, 34, was driving his auto-ambulance to pick up a COVID-19 patient – 57-year-old Madan Singh – from Ayushman Hospital to take him to Narmada Hospital in Bhopal when the police stopped him at a barricade. They did not allow him to proceed, citing COVID-19 restrictions. The police did not budge even as Khan tried to reason with them that he was only ferrying COVID-19 patients in his autorickshaw. Instead, he was detained and held for two hours.
On Saturday, Khan had received a frantic call from Yogini Thakur, Singh’s daughter, after she was unable to book a normal ambulance. Singh had been admitted to Ayushman Hospital two days earlier, after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, but needed to be transferred for treatment. “We had to struggle to find a bed,” Thakur said.
The police action proved fatal; nobody came to pick Singh up and after hours of waiting, he died at Ayushman Hospital.
“The police held me for two hours even as I told them that I have to pick up a critical patient,” Khan said. Even pleas from Singh’s wife, who visited the police station to seek Khan’s release, did not move the police, Khan continued. “But when they eventually let me go, the patient’s condition had worsened and doctors said there was no point in shifting him then.”
Police even filed an FIR against Khan, alleging that he violated COVID-19 norms. “We held him for flouting Section 144 norms and filed an FIR under Section 188; he was later released and provided a special pass when we learnt of his social services,” the station house officer at Chola Mandir police station, where Khan was detained, told The Wire.
Khan, however, expressed dismay at the police’s behaviour. “How can they just detain me like that? The road was barricaded and they did not allow me to pass. I told them I was on my way to hospital and showed them the oxygen cylinder. On seeing the cylinder they began accusing me of illegally transporting cylinders,” said Khan, who has been relentlessly ferrying COVID-19 patients in his autorickshaw-ambulance in Bhopal for the past 20 days.
The Wire approached Inspector General of Police, Bhopal A. Sai Manohar to ask him whether the department will investigate the matter. He responded, saying, “I think the Bhopal Police have clarified already.” He shared a statement in Hindi which accuses Khan of removing barricades in violation of the restriction order due to which he was booked under Section 188 and later released. “He was neither arrested nor was the oxygen cylinder in his auto seized. There is no police case against Javed,” reads the statement, adding that Javed is being issued a special pass for service so that he does not face any problems.
Many have hailed Khan as a ‘hero’ and admired him for his selfless initiative.
In early April, when the COVID-19 situation in Bhopal started worsening, Khan felt that the city was facing a shortage of ambulances as critical cases surged. He was moved by the painful visuals and news stories on TV showing poor patients unable to afford an ambulance. He decided to turn his autorickshaw into a free ambulance for COVID-19 patients. His auto is equipped with an oxygen cylinder, PPE kit, sanitiser and also an oximeter.
Khan, who normally earned Rs 200-300 per day, has limited financial resources. To obtain an oxygen cylinder, he sold his wife’s necklace for Rs 5,000. Now he is using his savings for refuelling. For now, he has decided to halt the monthly instalments he would make towards repaying his vehicle loan.
Khan has made his contact number available on social media. He receives around 5-6 calls a day for the past 20 days, he said, adding that he doesn’t accept payment from anyone.
“Javed bhai is very quick with help,” said Naman Rai, who has in the last ten days contacted Khan three times. On Monday, he said, Khan ferried an aged mother of a vegetable vendor to the hospital while her oxygen levels were steadily dropping. “The family is very poor, when I came to know they needed an ambulance, I contacted Javed since his services are free. He reached the location within 10-12 minutes,” Rai recalled. In another instance, Khan, on call from Rai, transported an oxygen cylinder from Jahangirabad locality needed for a COVID-19 patient who was gasping for breath in Chunabhatti area of the city.
Bhopal on Monday reported 1,669 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally reported in the city since the beginning of the pandemic to 94,803. The city officially reported 12 deaths on Monday.
Official numbers belie the data from crematorium and graveyards. A report surveying two cremation grounds in Bhopal noted that a total of 187 bodies were cremated at the two sites under COIVD-19 protocols on one day, while the official COVID-19 death toll remained at five. Another report noted that on April 10, 11 and 12, 56, 68 and 59 bodies were cremated in the city, while the official bulletin stated only 24, 24 and 37 COVID-19 deaths respectively, across the entire state.
Several people across the country – including Muslim organisations and individuals – have stepped up to provide succour to the needy amidst the unprecedented health crisis, even as the government response appears to flounder. They are supplying medical aid and oxygen cylinders; opening up mosques to serve as isolation centres; volunteering at hospitals and helping perform people’s last rites.
Some notable examples – from a much longer list – include Pyare Khan, a transporter in the city of Nagpur who donated two tankers of 32 tonnes of oxygen worth Rs 10 million for free to hospitals; Shahnawaz Sheikh who sold his cab to provide oxygen to 250 COVID-19 patients; and welding shops in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh that are now supplying oxygen cylinders.
Rushda Fathima Khan is an independent journalist based in Bangalore.
Source: In Bhopal, Police Action Against Auto-Ambulance May Have Cost COVID Patient His Life (thewire.in)
Javed Khan an autorickshaw driver
Ambulances are hard to find these days in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal city that is grappling with the destructive second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Javed Khan an autorickshaw driver in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal city has turned his vehicle into a free ambulance service for Covid patients, that too with oxygen support.
Khan who normally earns Rs 200-300 per day, has limited financial resources and says there was a time when he had to sell his wife’s jewellery to keep his benevolent act going.
Thankyou Javed Khan, you are a hero!
Citizens of Bhopal
Manoj Gupta refilling oxygen cylinder at Re 1
Manoj Gupta, manager of a stainless steel factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district, has opened the oxygen plant of the factory for all.
Grief and devastation are palpable as the country battles the second wave of the novel coronavirus. In these testing times, some are doing their best to help society cope with the crisis. Our Covid Hero today is Manoj Gupta, manager of the Rimjhim Ispat Factory in the Sumerpur Industrial Area of Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh. Yogesh Agarwal, managing director and owner of the factory, and Manoj have opened their factory to refill oxygen cylinders at Re 1 each.
COVID HERO FROM HAMIRPUR, MANOJ GUPTA
Explaining how his stainless steel plant is proving useful in supplying oxygen, Manoj said, “Oxygen is used to make stainless steel, so we have oxygen plants of different capacities. We use that oxygen directly in the steel-making raw material. Seeing the Covid crisis unfold in front of my eyes, Yogesh Agarwal and I decided to provide oxygen to people in need as a charity.”
He added, “We decided to supply oxygen for free. We are charging Re 1 because we have to do billing for the oxygen we produce, because it is counted as our product.”
‘WE ARE FILLING ALMOST 1,500 CYLINDERS EVERY DAY’
People from far off places are coming to get oxygen cylinders filled at this factory. Telling us about the same, he said, “We are filling 1,500 cylinders every day. It takes one hour to fill one cylinder, along with the unloading and loading time. 24 cylinders can be filled at a time at our plant. People from far off places like Aligarh, Noida, Lucknow, Banaras and more are coming to our plant to get oxygen filled. We are supplying oxygen to hospitals and also to individuals who immediately need oxygen. They just need to show a medical certificate and we immediately provide them with oxygen.”ADVERTISEMENT
“Since we directly use oxygen as our raw material, we don’t have oxygen cylinders, but people can bring their cylinders and get the oxygen filled here,” he added.
‘I WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL WITH COVID LAST YEAR’
Manoj has himself been a Covid patient and his battle with the virus nudged him to help those in need today. He said, “I can closely relate to the fear that Covid patients are facing right now. Last year, I tested positive for the virus. I was in the last stage when I was admitted to the hospital. After testing negative, it took me six-seven months to recover completely from the virus. This time, the strain of the virus is more devastating. So, I just wanted to do my bit to help people and which is why we opened our oxygen plant for everyone.”ADVERTISEMENT
‘WE NEED MORE FACTORIES TO PRODUCE LIQUID OXYGEN’
Talking about the shortage of oxygen cylinders, Manoj said, “There are two types of plants. One that produces dry oxygen, and the other that produces liquid oxygen. Dry oxygen cannot be transported to far off places as it evaporates quickly. Liquid oxygen is the only type of oxygen that is transported in bulk. But Uttar Pradesh doesn’t have many factories that produce liquid oxygen.”
Personal experience drove Manoj Gupta to help Covid patients in need.
Source: Covid Hero of the Day from Hamirpur: Manoj Gupta refilling oxygen cylinder at Re 1 – Lifestyle News (indiatoday.in)
Chandira, a tailor by profession stitching and donating masks
Chandira, a tailor by profession, has been stitching cloth masks ever since the start of the pandemic and has been providing it for free. Her husband Karunakaran, who is an auto driver, is also helping her.
Covid-19 has brought out the worst in the coronavirus and the best in some people. Our Covid Heroes today are Chandira and Karunakaran, a couple from Chennai who has been stitching cloth masks and giving them out for free. And they have been silently doing this ever since the pandemic began in India. In over a year, they have been reasons for people to believe in humanity.
CHANDIRA’S IDEA OF DONATING MASKS
When the Covid-19 pandemic began last year in India, every doctor and news channels said that face masks could help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. When not everyone could get their hands on an N-95 mask or a surgical mask, only cloth masks came to everyone’s rescue.
Chandira is a tailor at an export company. It was then that she decided to put her free time to use. Speaking to IndiaToday.in, she said, “I saw a lot of small pieces of cloth lying around me. They all go to waste. I decided to put them to good use. I picked up the waste bits lying around and decided to stitch masks. These are not discarded because of bad quality or anything. These cloth pieces are called extras. So, why not turn them into a mask?”ADVERTISEMENT
Chandira also added that she buys the elastic out of her own money for the masks. “I am spending whatever I have left for the masks. I buy the elastics for the masks and I always have a bunch of it in my bag,” she said.
At first, Chandira distributed the cloth masks to her neighbours and relatives. “When the demand for masks increased, I took the help of my husband Karunakaran. He is an auto driver and meets several people every day. With his help, I made sure the masks reached a wider section of people,” she said.
BREATHABLE MASKS ARE TOP PRIORITY
Once Chandira started stitching masks, she understood that they have become a staple in our lives. “The masks assure safety. So, I told my husband to hand them over to his customers and to those who are in his auto stand at Kodambakkam, Chennai,” she said.
Many people complain that they cannot breathe properly in N-95 or surgical masks. Though these masks offer better protection, people seek help in cloth masks as they are breathable.
Speaking about the fabric, Chandira said, “I make sure the material I pick is 100 per cent cotton. Other materials such as polyester, linen are not breathable in. After I gave out the masks for free, many approached me asking me to make it for their family.”ADVERTISEMENT
MANAGING A FAMILY AND HELPING PEOPLE
Chandira is managing a family of five, which includes her husband, daughter, son and daughter-in-law. “They do not know how to stitch and hence I do it whenever I find the time. I spend 10 minutes every day for lunch and the remaining time, I stitch masks apart from handling work at the export company,” she said.
Karunakaran, an auto-driver in Kodambakkam, Chennai.
Karunakaran, her husband, said, “We haven’t kept count of how many masks we have given out so far. That could be more than 500 masks. Masks are important, and I make sure people who ride in my auto wear one. If they forget it, I will hand over a mask if I have a spare that my wife stitched. This is the least we can do for our society.”
WHO (World Health Organisation) has stressed the importance of double masking. If you wear a cloth mask, it is imperative to wear a surgical mask above or underneath it.
Source: Covid Heroes of the Day from Chennai: Tailor-auto driver couple stitch and donate masks – Lifestyle News (indiatoday.in)