Bhubaneswar: A group of Sikh youths has been rendering yeoman’s service to the residents of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Being active members of Sikh Aid, a city-based NGO, these intrepid youths provide COVID medicines and oxygen cylinders to critical patients free of cost.
Talking to Odisha Bytes on Monday, Satbir Singh, a businessman by profession and a member of Sikh Aid, said that the first priority of his organisation is to provide medicines and other equipment to critical patients.
“As soon as I receive a call, my friends and I rush to the patient’s house to provide oxygen cylinder, mask, oximeter and medicines. Apart from this, we tell the family members of the patients about the use of an oxygen cylinder,” he said.
On the supply of oxygen cylinders to the patients, Singh said that his organisation had started the initiative in the twin cities during the first wave in August last year. Since then it has provided more than 100 cylinders to critical patients.
“We are willing to provide more oxygen cylinders. But they are not readily available with pharma companies. Presently, we are providing oxygen cylinders in the twin cities and distributing free medicines to the patients across the state,” he pointed out.
Satbir said that the NGO also provides ration and other essential items to patients who are alone. “Any family member of a patient has to come out of his/her house. But who will take care of the patient if all the members remain in the house? To help such patients, our organisation has been rendering quick service by providing necessary medicines and equipment in their house,” Singh pointed out.
He further said that his organisation has served Langar to more than 20,000 people in Bhubaneswar. These are mostly COVID-afflicted families who are not able to cook in their house. “We provide langar to such families any time they call us,” he added.
Singh also informed that Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Bhubaneswar is also providing Langar Sewa to COVID-afflicted families for lunch and dinner.
He said that any COVID patient needing urgent service is requested to contact two mobile numbers 8018008021 for Bhubaneswar and 9040475426 for Cuttack. Apart from this, the patients can also seek help through the web portal of Sikh Aid (www.sikhaid.com).
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