Shaheed Jamil Brigade provides free oxygen in Rajshahi

Shaheed Jamil Brigade, a voluntary organisation, has been providing oxygen and ambulance service for free in Rajshahi as the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has been taking a heavy toll on people's lives.

So far, they have helped nearly 85 families.

This organization began on 5 June with distributing masks and leaflets to raise awareness about Covid-19. Less than two weeks later, from 17 June they started their ambulance and oxygen service.

Currently, the voluntary "Brigade" has two ambulances and 20 oxygen cylinders and is active in 30 wards of the city corporation.

Their services, only a call away, are available 24 hours a day with a response time of 15 to 20 minutes.

Debashish Pramanik Debu, general secretary of the Rajshahi Metropolitan branch of the Workers' Party, the coordinator of the organisation, said they get 25 to 30 calls every day. The calls for ambulances generally come at night and demand for oxygen is higher in the evenings.

But Debu said, since they have limited oxygen cylinders, they have to adopt certain strategies.

When someone calls for oxygen, the team reaches there and measures the oxygen level of the patient. If the oxygen level is below 90, they immediately give him or her a cylinder.

But if the oxygen level is above 90, the patient and their family are counselled and put on the emergency list. Later, if the patient's oxygen level falls, cylinders are delivered immediately.

Debu says that due to a limited supply of cylinders, the organisation does not allow anyone to reserve oxygen. He said they are working on increasing their cylinder count.

Wakar Hasan Mahmud has availed the Shaheed Jamil Brigade oxygen service. He said when his older brother needed oxygen a few days ago, the organisation swiftly provided it. Badsha Haque, another beneficiary, said he used the organisation's oxygen services for his mother for two days.

Alongside the ambulance and oxygen service, Shaheed Jamil Brigade is continuing its awareness-building campaign.

On 22 June, they also submitted a six-point demand to the health minister through the deputy commissioner of the district.

Their demands included doubling the ICU facilities of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, arranging adequate oxygen, training nurses and doctors in administering high-flow nasal cannulas, declaring Rajshahi Sadar Hospital a full-fledged Covid-19 hospital, and bringing vaccination to all citizens.

Shaheed Jamil Brigade can be reached on the following numbers for their emergency services: 01712277871,    01723904901,     01741651229.