As everyone struggles from the effects of the pandemic, few are going a little extra mile to help someone in need. What we are experiencing today was unpredictable for everyone. People are dealing with problems like lack of availability or accessibility to food, medicines, hospital beds, vaccination and many more. However, there is a lack of resources but there is no lack of good samaritans.
Amarjeet Singh, 52, a resident of Gurgaon has started a free ambulance sewa for anyone who needs it. He started this initiative on May 7. Amarjeet said, “I started this sewa when a patient died in my locality. It was because of lack of transport, I felt bad about that incident and just kept on thinking about that. Later the next morning my wife came to me and asked if we could do something for such people. We used to see such incidents daily on television, families carrying dead bodies on a rickshaw, dying because of lack of ambulances and most of all, the ambulance charges are so high that some people can't even afford that, I got this idea of converting my car into an ambulance and asked my family about their views on this sewa.”
Singh shared that his family was worried that if he starts this initiative, it will be dangerous for his health and the family’s health as well. However, Amarjeet's 8 years old daughter said, “Papa if something happens to us, at least we can tell Waheguru that we did the right thing.”
Amarjeet had 7-8 lakhs saved for his children's education which he used for this initiative. On this, he said, “Waheguru Phir de dega.” Before starting this free ambulance service, Amarjeet's family condition was not good since the first lockdown started last year in March. He was working as a cab driver for the school students. He used to drive from Gurgaon to Delhi Public School, RK Puram.
Since the lockdown started he was not able to work due to the complete shutdown of schools. He sold his village land to get money for his children's education and their further studies. Amarjeet said, “The day we started this sewa, my wife said that we need to do the servicing of the car. Then I asked her where we will get the money, very selflessly she told me to use the money which we saved for our children's education.”
Five-six days back he got a call from a patient from Rewari, Haryana. It was 65 km away from Amarjeet's home. He drove the car to Rewari to reach Janki hospital, Najafgarh. The patient was very critical and was supported with oxygen. Singh was wearing a PPE kit and due to heat, his body got dehydrated. He even got sunstroke but through all his efforts, he was able to drive the patient to the hospital. But by the time Amarjeet got out of the car, he lost consciousness.
Amarjeet said, “Some people helped me and got me out of the PPE kit. People told me that I fainted at the doorstep of the hospital but no doctor or hospital staff came to me to check up. I was lying on the floor for hours in the hospital and after some time, somebody called my wife and they came to the hospital. My family was disappointed with the doctors and said that they should have provided one bed as I was lying on the floor for hours in the hospital. The doctors said that they had no vacant beds. I was back home after this, I got an MRI checkup and was treated at home under doctor’s observation. I was diagnosed with some heart trouble.”
All these obstacles couldn’t stop Amarjeet and he started his sewa again on May 24 which was accompanied by his wife also. Amarjeet said, “My family supported and encouraged me to continue this sewa, and I will never let them down.”
