The Sikh Community Starts One Of A Kind Oxygen Langar Along With Other Medical Assistance During COVID-19

“Oxygen is vital, and people are dying because of a lack of it. We want to thank everyone who made the effort to arrange it for us”, said an elderly woman from the national capital, thanking the Sikh community for providing oxygen, an essential medical support in the fight against COVID-19. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sikh community was at the forefront helping those who needed food; langar (community kitchen) that fed lakhs for months. Today, as the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the country, putting health services under tremendous pressure and leaving thousands running from pillar to post looking for hospital beds, oxygen supply and medicines, the Sikh community has once again come forward to help - this time, not just with the traditional langar but 'oxygen langars and other medical support.

These oxygen langars sprang up almost immediately across affected cities, and in gurdwaras, where volunteers stood with oxygen cylinders for hours, helping breathless patients breathe.

To combat the shortage of beds and resources in the capital city Delhi, as it battles the second wave of the COVID-19, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, along with the Delhi government has set up a 400 bedded COVID Care and Treatment Centre at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj. The facility is equipped with oxygen support and medicines.

Talking to NDTV about the initiative, Harmit Singh Kalka, General Secretary, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said,

The Guru Teg Bahadur COVID Care Centre has recently been opened at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. 400 beds have been installed there. Apart from the beds, we have also installed oxygen concentrators, ranging from 5 litres to 20 litres capacity. Patients are being treated there under medical supervision.

#ShareMax Take a look at the Care and Facilities being made available to COVID patients admitted at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Covid Care Facility at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib.
A total of 400 Oxygen Beds are available for patients with saturation level above 85. pic.twitter.com/sectLBeUro

The sewa is not just limited to oxygen and beds. The rise in demand for ambulances amid a surge in COVID-19 cases resulted in a shortage of ambulances for patients. To resolve this, the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee also scaled up its efforts to help COVID-19 patients by providing them with a free ambulance service. Currently, 15 ambulances are stationed across the capital.