Hyderabad: NGO gesture to Coronavirus victims with last rites

Hyderabad: The pandemic has affected the final rites rituals of patients who have succumbed to the Covid. Due to the fear of getting infected with coronavirus the people, including the family members, are avoiding to even touch the dead bodies. As a result, finding an ambulance for the last rites have become a challenge and those offering the services are charging exorbitant rates. To help the people in distress, especially the marginalised community who can't afford the high costs, a city-based NGO 'Amoomat Society' has come forward to provide last rites to the Covid deceased, irrespective of which religion or caste they belong to.

Khalida Parveen, general secretary of Amoomat Society , said ,"Several incidents came into limelight in these few months where families were forced to pay Rs 20,000 or more for an ambulance service to transport the Covid deceased to the cremation. Many marginalised families were struggling to take up the last rites services of the deceased. To help them out, the NGO has come forward to provide free ambulance service to transport the deceased from the hospital to the graveyard. This free service was launched last week and till now we have helped four to five families to transport the body of their kin to the cremation. As soon as we receive calls we send our two or three volunteers in the ambulance to the hospital and then to graveyard."

But there are many challenges faced by the NGO. The major problem is the hospital staff is not wrapping the dead body properly. We have requested the hospital officials to wrap it properly so that there is no risk for the volunteers handling the body.

With the help of the Youth Welfare Organization, the NGO is also providing burial services to the Covid deceased. There are about 65 volunteers with whose help the noble services are being provided. All the protective measures and also PPE kits are provided to the volunteers and also to the families of the deceased.

Also, the NGO has been providing dry ration to those in need, helping migrants to return home with all precautionary measures during the lockdown. In this mission, many like-minded people are providing financial aid. The NGO has been helping the vulnerable section, especially the women since 2010.

This final rite service is available 24x7 in the city. People in need of the service can contact 903081977 or 7680037677.