Utilizing the resources they are blessed with to alleviate mankind during these horrendous times, the Lions of Gujarat MD 3232 did everything in their power to provide aid.

The year 2021 has been going tougher on people than anyone expected. The country is fighting for a basic need like oxygen and the scarcity cannot be highlighted anymore. Unavailability of medical infrastructure and medicines have just been added to the long list of ailments. During such times, when people began losing hope, Lions of Gujarat came up with the concept of portable oxygen concentrator machines. In the wake of the rising COVID crisis, it serves as a boon to take care of the infected at home.  The tagline of the project Lions OxyBank is ÂLife At Your Doorstep.Â

The project Lions OxyBank was launched on April 12, 2021, in Ahmedabad and this inspired many NGOs and community associations to follow this suite.

The project was augmented by Past International Director Pravin Chhajed, under which patients will receive 5 and 10-liter capacity portable oxygen machines to treat the deficiency at home itself. The average cost of the oxygen machines to the Lions was 50,000 INR. The project has been managed by Lions Karnavati Shantaben Vishnubhai Eye Hospital under the leadership of District Governors Narendra Patel, Bharat Chhajer and Hospital Chairman Subhash Dasani.  The oxygen bank has already received donations for 700 such machines and they are envisioning to arrange for at least a thousand shortly.

The outcome of this OxyBank has been very satisfactory.  Nearly 65% of the patients recovered at home itself and the remaining 35% got the buffer time till the beds were available in the hospitals.  This helped the highly burdened health infrastructure of the state and also the agony and cost of the patients and their relatives.

With COVID cases increasing in Southern India, Director Pravin Chhajed says, ÂThe Lions Club is playing just a small part to assist the lakhs who have been affected in this turmoil. If our venture can even safeguard a few, weÂd feel to have it done successfully. With not enough beds and oxygen facilities available, everyone at the Lions Club decided to work full power and be of use to the ones in need and nothing is going to stop us from doing the good for humanity.Â

The team of Kunal, Mahesh and Shekhar are very efficiently managing the bank.  They are guided by the Project Chairman Sanjeev Chhajer.

The world contributed as well

The Lions of China under their project ÂGiving a Hand from China Lions gifted 10 ventilators, 40 BiPAP and 20 Oxygen machines.  It will help the Lions of Gujarat to a large extent in fulfilling the requirements. Also, 300 machines have been donated by the community of Canada to the lions of India.

Lions OxyBank received a request from International Director R. Sampath to send 100 portable oxygen concentrator machines. Past International Director R. Sunil Kumar and Council Chairman Mohan from Hyderabad also requested to send 125 portable oxygen concentrator machines. In response to this request, 225 machines were airlifted from Ahmedabad, Gujarat and sent to Southern India, and now, about 20 satellite centers of Lions OxyBank are being started in major cities and rural areas.

In such a dire situation, PID Pravin Chhajed, the brainchild behind this project, immediately managed to fulfil their request within 48 hours.

It is the effort of people like them who have made it possible for the world to reel out of the current crisis of the pandemic. Lions of Gujarat have made it clear that being kind doesnÂt cost much, one just needs to have the inherent feeling.

Today, Lions OxyBank is successfully functioning in more than 100 satellite centres across India.  This truly exemplifies the Act of Kindness in Diversity.