Hyderabad: Voluntary groups jump into action as Covid cases spike

Hyderabad: With a spike in Covid cases, voluntary groups once again resumed their services, including free online doctors' consultation, home delivery of oxygen cylinders, last rites, free food delivery and free ambulance. Even as the second wave struck hard this month, observing that there is a lot of strain on the health infrastructure and need to ease the pain of many citizens, city-based NGOs like Helping Hand Foundation (HFF), Feed the Needy and several others have once again resumed their services.

Mujtaba Hasan Askari, the founder of Helping Hand Foundation said, "Once again there is a rise in Covid cases just like last year, we have seen people suffering due to lack of treatment. This year to avoid any such incidents, we have once again resumed our services." The organization has started online doctor consultations round-the-clock and home delivery of oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters, and medicines.

It has also started ambulance support for emergencies and funerals for needy persons from the first week of April. Once again, many hospitals are restricting the non-Covid patients from visiting hospitals. For these people, the NGO has started nursing on-call services to monitor vitals and injectables on a case-to-case basis. Citizens in need can contact the helpline number 8790679505 and 7893191193. Last year the NGO helped 8,500 Covid-19 cases.

An ambulance has been especially dedicated to the transport of Covid dead patients to the graveyard by 'Feed the Needy'—an NGO. It resumed service in the second week of April and by now has performed five cremation. "During the first wave we performed 210 cremations, we are soon planning to resume our free ambulance service from April 17,'' said Sai Teja, member of the NGO.

Prasanna, founder of Every Pulse Foundation, said, "Recently we received many calls from the Covid-affected families, especially those who are not financially strong, asking us to provide food packets and grocery kits. So, we have planned to resume our service from next week." Her NGO plans to distribute food packets to around 300 Covid positive patients who are in home isolation. During the first wave they served to 1300 plus people with food packets.