The NGO’s team of 150 volunteers has worked around the clock to procure and provide oxygen cylinders to covid -19 patient across the country.

During the first wave of covid 19 last year, Odisha based NGO Sikh Aid, along with distributing at least 360 tons of cooked meals among migrant workers and labourers, also arranged oxygen cylinders.

During the second wave too they procured oxygen cylinder for those in need. But the difference is last year they received only 100 calls a month for oxygen and during the second wave they received around 2000 calls a day from all over India, says Raunak singh, founder of Sikh Aid.

During the second wave singh and his team members had barely slept eight hours in all.

Initially, the organization insisted on test results of patients to provide the cylinders, but during second wave when cases were more they checked the patients oxygen level.
“Most cases were genuine, but we needed to be doubly sure that the cylinders is going to those actually in need, ” Says Singh.

To meet the rising demand, the NGO, which has so far run on donations and provided cylinders free of cost to anyone who wants them, also started a “drive through”scheme for patients to go to their office and inhale oxygen.
This alone saved 500 lives.

Singh, who is businessman and founder of the organization, says that despite having the resources, procurement was still a difficult task. ÂItÂs taking a lot of time, and time is of the essence. ItÂs criminal to lose a single minute but we are trying our best to save every life, he says. ÂI see three to five deaths daily, IÂve myself got Covid-19 twice, but I will continue to do this even if it means losing my life. ItÂs just one against lakhs.Â

Patients who have lived because of him and his NGO want to thank him for the efforts to keep them aliveÂby helping keep others alive. ÂEveryone tells me, now I have antibodies so I want to volunteer too. That makes us happy but weÂre keeping our team small for maximum efficiency, Singh says.

For more you can visit www.sikhaid.in

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