The Whiteguard volunteers of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) are reaching out to the terminally and critically ill patients living in different parts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts with medicines not locally available to them.
The humanitarian scheme titled Mission Medi Chain is being carried out by involving the volunteers at panchayat, zonal and district levels. They said they were careful not to form any groups of more than three persons as the COVID-19 lockdown demanded extreme caution.
V.K.M. Shafi, district coordinator of the Mission Medi Chain, said that they had started the programme to help the patients who had no other means to get their medicines and other important medical equipment for survival. The team reached out to 10 patients at places like Koppam, Ongallur, Padinjarangadi, Thrithala, Purathur, Ponnani, Kakkad and Edarikode on day one.
Using local contacts, the panchayat level volunteers will enquire if any home-bound patients are in urgent need of medicines that is not locally available. The demand will be communicated to the zonal and district level volunteers through a WhatsApp group, and the volunteers in cities and other areas where medicines are available will procure them.
“Two of our volunteers will carry the medicine on their bikes to the next panchayat or zone, from where it will be carried to the next zone by another team, and from there by another team. Thus, we ensure that none travels far and leaves their locality or zone. But, we make sure that all of them will be in uniform and wear helmets, protective masks and gloves, and use sanitisers,” said Mr. Shafi.
On Saturday, a patient at Purathur was provided with the cancer medicine available only at the Kerala Government Homoeopathy Cancer Centre at Wandoor. A team brought the medicine from Wandoor to Malappuram; then another team took it to Kottakkal, another to Tirunavaya, another to Tavanur and yet another to Purathur.
“This service will not cost much for us individually as a chain of volunteers is involved. But we are very careful in this critical time,” said Mr. Shafi.
He said the police too were generous considering the humanitarian nature of the help they provided. Apart from him, Shafeek Vachal, Rauf Varikkodan and Shafeek Kadameri are also coordinating in their respective areas.
