The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed India in an unprecedented crisis. The country is struggling to overcome major challenges that include shortage of medical facilities, equipment, medical supplies, and not being able to provide personal relief to those with pressing and often life-threatening needs. Few lives have been spared from the direct experience of COVID-19’s impact, including the loss of dear ones, loss of income, and the uncertainties regarding everyone’s safety and health. Our heart goes out to all those who have suffered such losses, and we deeply pray that they be filled with Divine Mother’s all-solacing love.
Yogoda Satsanga Society of India has joined the nationwide efforts in helping to address this crisis by providing material aid and services to those affected — especially those who are less fortunate and more vulnerable. These relief activities are in progress in more than 25 cities across 20 states, with more cities added each day.
The society reaches out to people at this time to share what it has currently undertaken, and what it would like to offer in our ongoing efforts to provide relief at this critical time in our country.
The society is using its ashrams, kendras, and mandalis as hubs from where it is centring its outreach efforts. These efforts are directly reaching needy individuals and families. In addition, The society is offering support to hospitals and NGOs that are providing treatment and health care to COVID-19 patients.
The society is providing additional beds, stretchers, wheelchairs, and life-saving medicines and equipment such as BiPAP machines (Non-Invasive Ventilator), oxygen concentrators to hospitals, which are experiencing acute shortages. These include hospitals located in Ranchi, Coimbatore, Haridwar, Madurai, Mumbai, Nagpur, Serampore, Vellore, and Vijayawada.
The society is providing essential supplies including medicines, Pulse Oximeters, PPE Kits, face shields, medical gloves, sanitizers, N95 Masks, and thermometers to the medical frontline staff and volunteers, who directly serve COVID-19 patients. We are extending this relief in Dakshineswar, Dwarahat, Arsikere, Ballari, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mysore, Raipur, and Thanjavur.
The society’s Ranchi Ashram hospital and medical staff are providing round-the-clock ambulance service, funeral van service, a supply of oxygen cylinders, medical kits, and free medical consultation. In Ranchi, the society is helping an NGO set-up an emergency COVID hospital.
The society has offered financial assistance to needy patients in ICUs to defray expenses; and in some cases, we have extended financial support to the next of kin when a deceased person was the sole breadwinner in a family.
An ongoing effort is providing dry rations to those who have lost their livelihood due to lockdowns.
This is being carried out in Ranchi, Dwarahat, Delhi and NCR, Ahmedabad, Ballari, Bengaluru, Belagavi, Haridwar, Hassan, Kaiga-Karwar, Mandya, Muzaffarpur, Ongole, Rajahmundry, and Thirukazhukundram.
The society is deeply indebted to the YSS devotees and friends who have been instrumental in helping to identify people in need and coordinate our COVID-19 Relief efforts. The society recognizes their spirit of selfless service, which represents one of the aims and ideals of YSS given to it by its beloved Gurudeva: “To serve mankind as one’s larger Self”.
The society’s Gurudeva Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda said, “Every day, try to uplift, as you would help yourself or your family, whoever in your environment may be physically, mentally, or spiritually sick. Then no matter what your part is on the stage of life, you will know that have you have been playing it rightly, directed by the Stage Manager of all destinies.”