Tribune News Service

Ghaziabad, April 24

“Manav seva, param dharam” (service to humanity is the highest religion) is the core mantra that has been driving Ghaziabad Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (GGPC) vice-president Gurpreet Singh as he has come out with a unique initiative of “Oxygen langar” to help Covid-19 patients amid rising cases across the country.

Amid the second pandemic wave where people are finding it difficult to get oxygen to  breathe, Singh Sahib (as he is lovingly called) said, “We have started ‘Oxygen langar’ at the premises of Indirapuram Gurdwara in Ghaziabad and on a daily average for past one week, we have been providing life-saving facility to 70 to 90 persons on demand.” 

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Singh said since the first wave of the pandemic and following the lockdown in March last year, under the aegis of Indirapuram Gurdwara, they formed an NGO called ‘Khalsa Help International Foundation’ and started helping people in  need. “Last year, we provided food to 1,000-1,500 people every day during the lockdown and now sensing the crisis, we decided on starting ‘Oxygen langar’,” he said.   

The Covid cases have created havoc in Ghaziabad too like many other parts of the country and this initiative has been brought up to help patients wandering for oxygen supply. For the purpose, the gurdwara has also set up a helpline, 9097041313.

Explaining the process through which the oxygen is provided to the needy, Singh’s son Rumid Singh Rabin (in his 20s), who has been actively involved in the exercise, said, “As soon as the gurdwara receives a call on the helpline number, a car is sent to the patient and as soon as the patient reaches them, they are provided oxygen supply until the person’s oxygen level reaches to the safe level or till hospital bed is not allotted to him or her.” He said for some logistic reasons the services are not provided at the patient’s door.

“Amid this critical situation when many leading hospitals are facing an acute shortage of oxygen, this initiative by the gurdwara is commendable as people are getting immediate relief. A large number of people are already gathering at the Indirapuram Gurdwara for oxygen supply,” said Raghav Pal, a local resident, who got oxygen for his brother at the facility.

Covid has been creating havoc in Uttar Pradesh as the state recorded 34,379 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike. As many as 195 persons succumbed to the virus. Ghaziabad saw almost 1,000 cases in a single day.