A gurdwara in Ghaziabad had emerged as the saviour for those in dire need of oxygen but unable to find a hospital bed.
Gurudwara Guru Singh Sabha in Indirapuram locality in Ghaziabad on the outskirts of the national capital has started an ‘oxygen langar’ offering people the life-saving gas free of cost.
People have been coming in droves to the gurdwara in cars, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws, gasping for breath and thanking the ‘sangat’ for the benevolent service.
Ardiya Das brought her aunt in a car to the gurdwara when her oxygen levels dropped to 60 and her hunt for a hospital bed proved to be futile. The volunteers at the gurdwara helped the old lady with a oxygen mask on the rear seat of her car.
“We have limited cylinders of oxygen. So instead of giving them to the needy, we have appealed to those in need to visit the gurdwara, we will provide them oxygen till they find a hospital bed,” Gurpreet Singh, the founder of Khalsa Help International and Director, who has been associated with the gurdwara said.
The unique service offered by the gurdwara had inspired people in Delhi and Kanpur to start similar initiatives.
A group of Sikh volunteers organised an oxygen langar at Bhogal locality in Jangpura in Delhi, while the Guru Singh Sabha in Kanpur started the service in the industrial town in central Uttar Pradesh.
The Indirapuram gurdwara has launched a helpline – 9097041313 – where patients could reach out for help.
The gurdwara also runs a kitchen service to feed the needy who reach out seeking help.