Brave hearts who cheer Covid-19 patients and their families by delivering medicines and essentials

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<strong>Apart from struggling with transport to reach the hospitals, the Covid-19 affected patients also face obstacles in getting essential items and medicines for themselves and their families. The stigma attached to the Coronavirus makes even the brave hearts stay away from them and their homes but not the band of autorickshaw drivers in Pettah-Pallimukku neighbouring Thiruvananthapuram, in Kerala.</strong></p>
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Going around in their three-wheelers, they bring happiness and smile on the faces of the patients and their families and the needy as they ferry household daily use items and medicines, and deliver them right at their doorstep! This is great service when the lockdown is in force and restrictions in place to curb the spread of the disease.</p>
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Started by a handful of drivers of the Janamaitri autorickshaw stand which is situated near the Pettah police station last when the nation was facing lockdown due to the first wave of Covid, this time too they have come to aid of people.</p>
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At present 20 drivers are at this job of ferrying essentials to the homes of those in quarantine. This noble work is being carried out by drivers under the Janamaithri Autorickshaw Koottayma Trust, Pettah-Pallimukku.</p>
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While talking to the New Indian Express, Suresh Kumar M, one of the drivers said: "There is a lot of stigma attached to COVID-19 patients. Most people turn away from helping out a household when they realise that there is a Covid positive person there. When people in our locality encountered this problem, we thought of assisting them.”</p>
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Covering the area which falls under the Pettah police station limits, all the work is done while ensuring that the Covid protocol are adhered to. Narrating an instance, Suresh said: "Once an infected person called us up. He didn’t have provisions at home. His salary had been credited to his bank account, but there was no way to access the cash. That’s when they got in touch with us. The ATM card was sanitised and kept outside. I sanitised the card again, got them the essentials and left the packages and money outside the house.”</p>
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This Samaritans group has not been doing this good work now during Coronavirus but earlier too. They started in 2013 when they took passengers in need of medical attention to the Regional Cancer Centre without charging them any money for the ride.</p>
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Doing this good deed was begun by Suresh. "I had started the initiative then in the memory of my sister Bindu, who died of blood cancer. Now we help out in our own ways.”</p>
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Agreeing with him, another driver at the stand, M. Mohankumar said: “Those in quarantine have no access to essentials. We are just helping people in ways we can. There is no use living like a coward. We take all precautions and never ask for money. If they give us money, we accept it.”</p>