One just needs to send a WhatsApp message at 9810083486 with the patient’s name, Aadhaar card number and doctor’s prescription to get the medical oxygen at the oxygen ATM set up at Subhash Nagar in West Delhi.

GUWAHATI: As thousands of people from the northeast are in home quarantine with Covid infection in the national capital and in urgent need of oxygen, IPS officer from Arunachal Pradesh, posted in Delhi, Robin Hibu’s ‘Helping Hands’ NGO has emerged as a saviour with an oxygen ATM facility.
When the Delhi government was putting the blame on the Modi government for the shortage it was facing allegedly because of inadequate allocation and supply by the Centre, Hibu and the Good Samaritans from the Sikh community swung into action.
Hibu, known for his charitable work among his colleagues, felt that his team-work would encourage people from other parts of the country to serve the people.
One just needs to send a WhatsApp message at 9810083486 with the patient’s name, Aadhaar card number and doctor’s prescription to get the medical oxygen at the oxygen ATM set up at Subhash Nagar in West Delhi.
“We are providing oxygen for 4-5 days or oxygen kits for SOS use. Preference is being given to Covid patients from NE, who work in private companies on meagre salaries and students from the region,” Hibu told TOI over phone from Delhi on Monday.
Nine days after the inauguration of the facility, the response has been overwhelming. “But call us only as a last resort,” he said, adding that initiative is meant for the most needy people from the region.
Olympian boxer MC Marry Kom donated Rs 3 lakh to support the Oxygen ATM facility that is being constantly manned by Helping Hands Sikh youth team. The oxygen kits are mainly for those who don’t have cylinders to refill. Some amount donated by Mary may be utilized for burial and cremation also of people from the NE.
The documents that are needed are digital quarantine papers, Covid report, identity cards from companies and student ID cards.
After this, Helping Hands will issue digital token numbers through WhatsApp and SMS to NE patients.
The token number and other details will also be sent to the person in charge of the Oxygen ATM.
Amandeep Singh (John), in-charge of the ATM, said they faced a dilemma when phone calls came from locals, who are not from the northeast.
“In such tragic times, we did break a few rules. About 600-700 patients have got oxygen from us and a few are from other states. Humanity comes first, though we started the initiative for a specific group,” Singh said.
For Hibu and his team it was a moment of joy when Rajya Sabha member Mary Kom called him up to say she would provide all support from the MPLAD fund.
“No words are enough to thank Helping Hands for their selfless social work in this crisis,” said Mary Kom.
“She is the first leader to support Helping Hands reach out to the distressed and needy NE folks. I have conveyed my deep gratitude to her on behalf of the people from the region,” Hibu said.