NGOs playing crucial role in providing food, sanitation, shelter to needy

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], April 10 (ANI): With the cases of COVID-19 rapidly increasing in the country, the government at the Centre and in the State is taking every measure including sealing buildings and hotspots to contain the spread of the virus.
However keeping pace with the present crisis, many of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have extended helping hand in several ways to combat the coronavirus and its consequences.
From providing meals to supplying essentials, from sanitising various areas, especially the slums to educating people of lower stratum, they are doing their bit in a unified endeavour to combat the virus, which has hit the humanity globally.
One such organisation is Miracle Foundation India, which primarily focuses on child health.
Caroline Boudreaux, founder, Miracle Foundation India, told ANI: "We supported children with an immediate cash transfer to their families, which will help them buy basic groceries and hygiene items for two months. We will also provide relief packages to Child Care Institutes (CCIs) to ensure the overall health and wellbeing of the kids for a period of two months."
Swasthgram, with more than 50 doctors and 500 trained volunteers, is working on the ground to sanitise homes, slums and essential service operators. Also, they provide soaps, alcohol solutions and educate people about the prevention and precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amit Bhatnagar, founder of Swasthgram, said: "We have sanitised the entire Ghitorni village, manufactured hand spray sanitisers and distributed 1,000 bottles for free to the needy people. Going forward, we plan to continue with the existing initiative and may take-up the task of providing face masks either for free or at a nominal cost."
Recognising the role of NGOs in helping people with food items, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has directed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide wheat and rice to such organisations at the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) price.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs in an advisory asked States to take help from NGOs and religious organisations in feeding and sheltering the stranded migrant labours.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday said that India's total number of COVID-19 positive cases now stands at 6,761. Out of the total cases, 6039 are active patients and 515 of them have been cured/discharged and migrated. (ANI)