Kashmir: Selfless volunteers, local NGOs help people in distress

Muhammad Afaaq Sayeed, Director of Social Reforms Organisation, also popularly known as SRO-Kashmir, "We have been gearing up for this since late last year. We have kept back up 750 oxygen cylinders compared to 400 in the second wave.

"Ninety percent of these bulk oxygen cylinders are in use right now. In addition to that, we have got over 260 oxygen concentrators of which over 150 are in use, and the rest are there as backup.

"In the past few days, over 25 patients, mostly financially weak, got help from us. Since the start of the third wave, over 250 patients in distress were provided with oxygen, medicine, ambulance service, and other help."

A team of over 25 people are working on the ground and online to help people, he said.

Adil Bhat, who is working as  a volunteer with SRO, said: “It is a different feeling of satisfaction when one reaches out with help to people in distress.

"Everyone cannot arrange medical expenses and emergency help in distress. At times, I have seen the whole family down with COVID and other chronic ailments. In such cases many organizations like us have reached out to the people with help and made a difference."

Farooq Ahmad, who heads Help Poor Voluntary Trust (HPVT) said that they had been going above and beyond to provide help to patients with chronic disease.

“During the first wave of COVID, people were less aware and were in panic. I remember people used to leave their patients at hospitals and then our volunteers helped them out.

"Today, the situation is different, people are helping themselves out and they are not that afraid," he said.

Ahmad said that currently around 1,500 patients were registered with his NGO for medical help.