Delhi-based NGO Wishes and Blessings has launched WB Ambulances project in partnership with Delhi government to provide aid to underprivileged COVID-19 patients.
“The ambulance provides free of cost transportation to hospitals, quarantine centres, treatment facilities and back to their home. The vehicles are also being used to hold COVID-19 tests in containment areas,” informs Founder Getanjali Chopra.
The ambulance is operational for 12 hours a day all seven days. After successfully running the project on a trial basis with one ambulance, the organisation is all set to add six vehicles to the fleet in August. People can access the ambulance helpline number 102 for assistance.
The vehicles are equipped with the necessary medical supplies and the staff has undergone intensive training.
Wishes and Blessings has been on the frontline of providing COVID relief across Delhi-NCR, Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal from the Day 1 of the lockdown.
“While doing the relief work in Delhi/NCR, the team realised that there was an acute shortage of medical transportation facilities, and many patients who were suspected of being COVID-19 positive could not access testing centres,” adds Chopra.
The project was launched on July 1. In the first week of operations itself, the organisation provided transportation to 35 patients and carried out tests for 20 beneficiaries.