Malwani couple who donated own oxygen cylinder to needy during second wave peak get more than Rs 35 lakh in donations, with which they bought two ambulances and donated 250 dialysis kits in the area
Rozy and Pascal Saldhana with their two ambulance vans in Malad on Wednesday. Pic/Anurag Ahire
A Malad man who sold his ailing wife’s jewellery to buy oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients during the peak of the second wave has taken his good work a notch up. Malwani resident Pascal Saldhana and his wife Rozy have now started a free ambulance service after mid-day’s reports on the big-hearted couple led to over R35 lakh in donations pouring in from well-wishers.
The couple said they have managed to raise Rs 35 lakh through crowdfunding platform Ketto. Apart from the ambulance service, Pascal said they have also bought 30 oxygen cylinders and 100 dialysis kits to help those who can’t afford treatment at private hospitals. Rozy herself frequently needs dialysis.
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Pascal told mid-day, “In the second wave of the pandemic, we came across the heart-wrenching news of ambulance operators charging patients and their relatives exorbitantly. I have also seen many poor patients suffering because they cannot buy dialysis kits and medicines.”
Pascal said they will distribute the kits to dialysis centres across the city. He will also give ration packets and medicines to the poor.
The couple said they have also handed over nearly 2 tonnes of pulses and grains to the needy since the pandemic began. Pic/Anurag Ahire
After offering prayers at a local church, the Saldhanas started their ambulance service with two vehicles on Wednesday. “One ambulance will be used for oxygen supply and the other to ferry patients,” said Pascal.
Rozy said she is delighted that they could raise funds and start the ambulance service. She told mid-day, “My health has improved a lot since we started doing selfless work.”
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In April, mid-day first reported the couple’s good work. They had bought an oxygen cylinder for Rozy since she is vulnerable to infections. But she gave away her cylinder after learning about a critical Covid patient. The couple then sold her jewellery to help seven more victims of Coronavirus. They said they have handed over nearly 2 tonnes of pulses and grains to the needy since the pandemic began, said Pascal.
Following mid-day reports, Dettol felicitated the Saldhanas and featured them on the bottles of its hand wash.
Rozy and Pascal live with their two sons. Rozy is a teacher at St. Xavier’s School, Borivli, while Pascal is a well-known decorator in Malwani. Pascal said Rozy has suffered a lot due to her health conditions. She slipped into a coma four times and once had a brain hemorrhage. The family has spent over R2 crore on her treatment. They say they can empathise with those who do not have the means to foot huge medical expenses.
30
No. of oxygen cylinders bought by the couple
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