Delhi/Jammu, June, 2021: With the second wave of Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the nation, the Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) and Kakini Building Humanity Trust have come together to provide aid in the form of life-saving oxygen concentrators, cylinders, and Covid-19 protection kits.
The end of April 2021 saw a humanitarian crisis develop in Jammu and Delhi-NCR with hospitals running out of beds, ambulances, and precious oxygen resources. The Kashmiri Overseas Association, a non-profit socio-cultural organisation, serves the purpose of protecting and preserving Kashmiri heritage, and providing financial aid to the needy. Partnering with KOA, the Kakini Building Humanity Trust is a New Delhi-based NGO focusing on education, disaster management, healthcare, and other segments.
Coming together during the time of an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases, KOA supplied 315 oxygen concentrators to organisations in Jammu, Delhi, and the rest of India, through Kakini. Along with concentrators, 5,000 Covid-19 protection kits were prepared by Kakini and distributed all over Jammu and Delhi.
KOA and Kakini set and met a list of goals to help combat Covid-19. These included setting up Covid response teams in Jammu and Delhi, making oxygen cylinders and concentrators available for emergency use, Supporting Covid centres in SJM Hospital, Swami Nundlal Bub Hospital, and Medichek Hospital Vitasta and Shriya Bhat Hospital at Jammu, offering 24×7 online doctor consultation services, creating teams to help refill oxygen cylinders, for emergency shifting of devices, and to meet the needs of the elderly.
Covid-19 protection kits by the hundreds have been prepared and distributed by the partners. More than 300 kits have been supplied in Delhi on a daily basis. These kits consisted of 10 N-95 masks, sanitisers, Vitamin C, Zinc, one oximeter, one thermometer, and a face shield.
Mrs Archina , President KOA, commented, “The Kashmiri Overseas Association has been working since last 30 years in various sectors like health, education and culture. We have been helping people in all ways possible during this pandemic. In Kakini, we have found a reliable partner who can channelize our intentions to execute our plans for healthcare and disaster management in India. To assist the people that were struggling to get the right assistance KOA is establishing a dedicated 24X7 emergency helpline number”.
Anyone needing to consultation or a second opinion could call in at any time for a free of cost consultation. To ensure it smooth function, KOA had enrolled doctors from US to be available during the night time, while the Indian doctors would be available during the day.
Cdr Sanjay Kaul , Kakini Building Humanity Trust said, “Kakini has always risen to the occasion when the nation needs a helping hand during natural calamities or such occasions when the government resources and reach are not enough to tackle the situation. We are proud to partner with and thankful to KOA to save lives by providing and facilitating oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and other life-saving equipment and services in Jammu and Delhi-NCR.”
The selfless work of the members of Kakini Building Humanity Trust and KOA has saved the lives of hundreds of people in Jammu and Delhi during this second wave. While things are now getting back to normal and many states are opening up, both these organisations will continue to do work towards the betterment of the society and lending their helping hand to those who need it the most.
About Kashmiri Overseas Association: Kashmiri Overseas Association, Inc. (KOA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt socio-cultural organization registered in Maryland, USA. Its purpose is to protect, preserve, and promote Kashmiri ethnic and socio-cultural heritage, to promote and celebrate festivals, and to provide financial assistance to the needy and deserving.
About Kakini Building Humanity Trust: Kakini Building Humanity is an NGO involved in humanitarian work in Kashmir and the North East since 2009. The Trust is involved in segments like education, healthcare, support of economically-backward classes, rescue and rehabilitation services during natural calamities, and the agriculture sector amongst others.
