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Succour through WhatsApp: Youth group aids needy with O2, medicines
It was 1 AM when Kareli area resident Hamza’s phone rang
It was 1 AM when Kareli area resident Hamza’s phone rang. An upset Mohd Shahid, who also lived in the locality, was calling for help as his father was sinking for want of oxygen.
Achhe Khan, 65, had tested positive for Covid-19 and his oxygen level was falling fast. Having failed to arrange for an oxygen cylinder, his family had lost all hope. Suddenly, Shahid thought of Hamza and sent out an SOS.
Immediately, Hamza informed Zeeshan Rehmani about the condition of Achhe Khan, who posted a message in a newly formed WhatsApp group. Within half an hour, Mohd Usman, another group member, arranged for an empty oxygen cylinder and even helped Achhe Khan’s relatives in getting it filled. A few hours later, Achhe Khan’s oxygen saturation level rose to acceptable limits.
Rehmani, Usman and Hamza are just some of the members of a WhatsApp youth group, ‘Covid-19 help’ that swung into action that night and helped save the life of Achhe Khan. The group has over 100 members living in different localities of the city.
Meanwhile, Sayed Mohammad, Anas, Ali Usmani, Guddu and many others have a similar story of how these young do-gooders helped them at a time when help was required the most. These are just some of the people who have been helped by this group with medicines, oxygen cylinders, transport etc.
This group of youths has come forward to help Covid-19 patients and others, especially in the Old City area, at a time when even near relatives are reluctant to attend to patients. Members use available resources to help patients and their attendants and try to instil confidence among them to fight the disease.
Till date, the group has helped around 100 patients residing across the Old City and has even reached out to people living in narrow lanes and by-lanes to provide assistance.
Through the WhatsApp group information is shared about needy patients, the availability of resources and the manpower needed for delivering the necessary items to them. Soon after receiving a distress call, the group pools resources and takes the help of local leaders, corporators and eminent citizens for providing help to patients.
Zeeshan Rehmani, the founder member of the group, said that he was shocked at the sudden surge in the number of deaths. Soon, reports began pouring in of people dying for want of basic help in getting treatment. Many were from poor families and unable to arrange for medicines, etc. “It was then that the idea of forming a WhatsApp group came to mind and along with my friends, I formed the ‘Covid-19 Help’,” Rehmani said.
He formed the group some 20 days back and many youths from different localities of the Old City volunteered to join the group and assist in providing help to the needy.
Volunteers in the group keep information about poor patients in their localities and share information about their condition and their needs through WhatsApp groups. Mostly, patients are short of oxygen, medicines, transport and even money and attendants.
However, with a large number of patients and few resources, those in critical condition or lacking money are helped on a priority and are given immediate help.
“Some oxygen cylinders were donated by people who had them, while some cylinders were taken from welders on rent. Those in immediate need are given empty cylinders and sometimes poor attendants are also helped in taking the cylinder to the plant to get them filled,” Zeeshan said.
Another member of the group, Mohd Usman, said that besides oxygen cylinders, medicines and transport, other necessities in saving lives are being arranged by the group. “We have pooled resources and sought help from others to help the needy. Our motive is to reach out to patients who are financially weak and have few or no kin to attend to them,” Usman said.
