NEW DELHI – As India’s second wave of coronavirus is pushing its healthcare system to the brink where many died on streets amid the dire shortage of oxygen, a man from the Indian state of Maharashtra sold his car and personal gold to provide live-saving gas amid the crippling situation.
Not all heroes wear capes, and Shaikh is among those who become a hero in the narrow lanes of India’s largest city with his Unity and Dignity Foundation.
The unsung hero gained attention last year amid the first wave of the novel virus after he sold his SUV and provide the oxygen cylinders for those in need. He bought the brand-new Ford Endeavour back in 2011 and even spent additional money to get a special number plate along with a dedicated music system.
Watch | As healthcare system across the country struggles to tackle the #COVID19 surge, Mumbai's Shahanawaz Shaikh sets up his own war room to supply oxygen
NDTV's Saurabh Gupta reports pic.twitter.com/daBPYafuCQ
— NDTV (@ndtv) April 20, 2021
Shaikh first began using his 4X4 vehicle as a makeshift ambulance which he later sold after getting out of cash. He managed to procure at least 160 oxygen cylinders for the needy and helped over 4,000 people so far with free oxygen cylinders.
Narrating his motive for the noble cause, the Mumbai resident said it all started last year when his friend’s wife died in a three-wheeler due to lack of oxygen. The death of the lady prompted his desire to help others.
Shahnawaz has also established a helpline number and has formed a war room to get emergency calls. Speaking with a news outlet, he mentioned that “Last year when we started arranging live-saving gas, we assisted at least 5,000 to 6,000 patients but this year, there is a dire shortage of oxygen in the city. Where we used to get 50 calls back in 2020, we now get 500 to 600.”
India, the most populous democracy in the world, is facing a tsunami of fresh Covid infections as the death toll is nearing the bleak milestone of 200,000 with another 2,771 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.
The country which has seen a staggering rise in infections amid limited resources has so far reported 17.64 million Covid-19 infections and 197,894 deaths but experts believe the tally runs significantly higher than the reported figures.
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