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Covid-19: Abu Dhabi temple's medical supplies, oxygen reach India

Abu Dhabi - First of cryogenic oxygen tanks reached India on Friday morning.

The first round of Covid-19 relief supplies sent by BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi reached India on Friday morning.

The UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple is creating an end-to-end supply of oxygen concentrators, cylinders, tanks and other medical equipment to help India deal with this unprecedented situation.

More than 25 BAPS volunteers in the UAE and more than 1,000 volunteers in India are helping to build a logistical network and a supply chain that can be scaled up in coming weeks.

The first of the cryogenic oxygen tanks reached India on Friday morning. The first 44 metric tonnes of oxygen will be now reaching patients at government and nonprofit hospitals in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Morbi, Palanpur and Patan. Later the empty tanks will be transported back to the UAE for refilling.

With the logistical support of the Transworld Group, the end-to-end supply chain will be able to provide 440 metric tonnes of oxygen in the coming weeks.

Along with these liquid oxygen tanks contributed by Dubai-based Global Gases Group, BAPS has been able to source more than 1,600 filled cylinders and 1,000 concentrators with the support of the Indian community in the UAE.

Ashok Kotecha, chairman, the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, said: “Along with these efforts, BAPS has been able to treat more than 4,000 Covid-19 patients in its four institutional hospitals and a field hospital and Covid care centre. Our supplies have gone beyond the cities, as we distribute oxygen tanks to small villages which are logistically difficult to reach.”

Pujya Brahmavihari Swami of BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi said: “The essence of spirituality is to serve society selflessly, with purity, integrity and humility. Our guru His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj inspired us to dedicate ourselves tirelessly and selflessly by reminding us that ‘the value of saving even one life is priceless’.”

The temple revealed that the aid, including procurement and shipment of the oxygen resources, has already exceeded Dh5 million and has been borne totally by the donors and supporters.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com