Image Source: TIMES NOW

Coronavirus in India is far from being under control as the number of cases continues to pile with every passing day. The viral outbreak has affected over 4 lakh people in the country and has claimed 14476 lives. Currently, there are around 1.8 lakh active COVID-19 patients in the country, many of whom are critical and require respiratory support. But the steep rise in cases has stressed our medical infrastructure and caused an acute shortage of equipment, especially ventilators and oxygen supply. And though medical equipment manufacturers and other companies, including many automakers, are trying to ramp up the production of ventilators, things are not enough. But this is when people like Shahnawaz Shaikh are stepping up to help those in need. A resident of Mumbai, Shahnawaz has been helping COVID-19 patients by providing them with oxygen cylinders. According to a report, Shahnawaz decided to help coronavirus patients, especially those under home-quarantine, with oxygen cylinders after his business partner's sister, who was pregnant, lost her life after she was turned away by several hospitals. According to Shahnawaz, some hospitals didn't admit her because of a lack of medical equipment while others didn't have a vacant bed. He decided to help needy patients with oxygen cylinder after learning from a doctor friend that the lady could have survived had she received oxygen supply on time. This is when Shahnawaz decided to sell his Ford Endeavour SUV to purchase 60 and rent 40 oxygen cylinders. So far, he has helped around 300 COVID-19 patients by providing them with oxygen cylinder on time. Shahnawaz Shaikh runs and NGO Unity and Dignity with Abbas Rizvi, who too has been helping Shaikh in this endeavor. The duo, who receive almost 20-25 calls for help every day, have set up a process to ensure that they help those in need; a recommendation from a doctor that the patient requires oxygen cylinder and that they come and pick it up themselves. However, Shahnawaz and Rizvi personally deliver the oxygen cylinder in case an entire family is in quarantine.