Oxygen Man of Mumbai helps people in home isolation

At a time when the country is reeling under severe oxygen shortage because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ‘Oxygen Man of Mumbai’ is busy saving lives.

Meet Shahnawaz Shaikh, a resident of the Malad suburbs who is helping out people with oxygen cylinders, particularly those who need them during home quarantine.

This is free of cost to the patients, not only in Mumbai but also in the larger Mumbai metropolitan region.

He depends on donors and the network of dealers of oxygen cylinders. A young businessman from Mumbai, who suffered badly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he is now helping out people in distress.

Rattled by the death of an acquaintance, a pregnant lady who died of Covid-19 infection last May, he decided to do something to help people. “My friend’s wife died in an autorickshaw gasping for oxygen... This moved me, disturbed me,” he said.

To start with, he needed funds. He decided to sell off his Ford Endeavour SUV for Rs 22 lakh.

“In March 2020, the pandemic broke out in Mumbai, then the lockdown happened and in May the cases were peaking,” said Shahnawaz, adding that there was chaos and confusion everywhere.

“I was mulling how to help and decided that an oxygen cylinder is the best option. In fact, taking the cylinder to the patient’s home was the most difficult task and we as a group decided on that,” said Shahnawaz, who is part of Unity and Dignity Foundation, an NGO.

“From my network, I could then organise more than 200 cylinders daily during the first wave… But now things have changed and we are facing difficulty during the second wave. We are hardly managing 50 per day… I am maintaining a stock of around 200 cylinders,” he said, adding that the demand is very high.

During last year, he could provide 5,000 to 6,000 cylinders while this time the count is hardly 600.

“I have been receiving calls from various parts of the MMR like Vasai, Virar and Nalasopara in the western suburbs and Kalyan and Dombivali in central suburbs and Thane city,” he said, adding that people from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar too had called him.

“We have set up a war room where youth are working. We are trying to network with people and oxygen dealers… We are getting 500 to 600 calls per day now,” he said, pointing out that even hospitals are seeking help.

“I am trying to accommodate all, however, my priority is to help people who are in home quarantine,” he said, adding that the hospitals are crowded and hence people who can get treated at homes need to be helped. Asked about his SUV, Shahnawaz smiled and replied: “Once Covid-19 goes and things are back to normal, another SUV will come.”