The residents of New Town, with active support of the residents forum, New Town Forum and News or NTFN is soon going to launch a Covid centric Ambulance Service with oxygen and all emergency amenities to be made available to those in emergency needs. Apart from this ambulance service, the residents together are volunteering to provide medical essentials including Medicine, Oxygen and Oximeter to the under privileged and needy, residing in the smart city.
Mr Debashis Sen, Chairman HIDCO and NKDA, will dedicate the ambulance for the people of New Town on 1st May. New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has also requested the residents’ welfare associations to start oxygen pooling. In an online meeting recently, the authorities has placed a proposal to all the housing associations in New Town, if they can pool unused or half-used oxygen cylinders to make an inventory.
Speaking on the occasion, NKDA Chairman Debashis Sen said, “We are requesting all welfare associations not to hold back oxygen stock so that others are not deprived. If someone has oxygen, please declare to NKDA so that an inventory could be prepared so that at least affected persons can utilize them”.
The services of the Ambulance is to be made with only running cost offerings except fixed costs as some organisations like BMRC and individuals have come up to support the initiative. Few services would be free and some are chargeable. Meanwhile, NTFN volunteers are working round the clock to help people with the requirement of Oxygen, Medicines, Food and Hospitalization.
Samaresh Das of NTFN says, “we are trying to reach out to people the people who are in need, round the clock with Medicine, Oxygen, Hospitization support. Our volunteers are also working to help people with the registration of the vaccine. Now, this Ambulance will be a big help to the people in need. It is a is a joint effort of NTFN and BMRC to stand by the people during this crisis.”
Meanwhile residents of New Town are poised, that in this hour of crisis, they are going to get hundreds of helping hands. Sandip Bhattacharya, a Corporate executive and a resident of one of the prominent Housing Complexes of New Town, Moonbeam Housing Complex, says “we appreciate this effort of NTFN of bringing a mobile ambulance for the citizens of the smart city, as it raises our hope and keep us positive and optimistic in this trying time“.
The second wave of the pandemic caused by the coronavirus is proving to be more disastrous, because of shortage of infrastructure and medical support. At this moment of crisis, active participation of citizens, volunteering in the service efforts to support the government and administration is the need of the hour.
