India witnessed a massive spurt in Covid-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic that hit the country in April. Millions of people were affected directly or indirectly by the pandemic and thousands of lives were lost. As the pandemic continues to ravage the country, the headquarters and a number of our centres launched relief operations bringing succour to the afflicted people in this hour of the direst human crisis in recent times. A report on the work done by the headquarters and 58 branch centres spread over 19 states/union territories in India, and also by our centres in 4 other countries is given below.

Kadapa centre started teleconsultation service on 17 May and made available services of a panel of doctors to patients suffering from Covid-19 and other diseases.

Visakhapatnam centre installed coffee-and-tea vending machines at a government hospital on 9 May. The centre also distributed 600 packets of biscuits per day among 600 nurses.

Aalo centre conducted awareness camps in and around Aalo.

Itanagar centre opened a vaccination centre and a 19-bed triage ward for suspected Covid patients. The centre’s ambulance is being used to transfer Covid patients to other hospitals. The centre is also conducting rapid antigen tests and CT scanning on Covid patients.

Dibrugarh centre distributed dry ration kits among 50 families on 27 and 28 May.

Karimganj centre started a vaccination centre on 7 May; so far 1100 persons have been vaccinated.

Narainpur centre conducted awareness campaigns and distributed 474 masks, 30 bars of soap, sanitisers, etc among the villagers. Besides, it started a few vaccination and testing centres where a total of 1276 persons were vaccinated and 149 persons were tested.

Jamshedpur centre opened a vaccination centre at Sidhgora on 17 May. Every day around 1000 persons get vaccinated there.

Ranchi Morabadi centre started a vaccination centre where 222 persons got vaccinated from 15 to 19 May. Telemedicine service and awareness webinars are also being provided by the centre along with Spiritual counselling through online classes.

Basavanagudi centre, Bengaluru, distributed 1500 kg rice, 300 kg flour, 300 kg pulses, 350 litres  cooking oil, 300 kg sugar, 150 kg salt and 60 kg assorted spices among 150 needy families and 750 kg  rice, 50 kg flour, 50 kg broken wheat, 30 kg beaten rice, 50 kg pulses, 60 litres cooking oil, 50 kg  sugar, 50 kg salt, 21 kg assorted spices, 2 kg puliyogare powder, 30 kg milk powder and 150 bars of  soap to an orphanage with 70 mentally challenged children.

Belagavi centre distributed 31 pulse oximeters to the doctors in May.

Ponnampet centre conducted a vaccination drive in which 264 persons were vaccinated from 6 to 12  April. The centre also reserved two wards for Covid patients in its hospital.

Shivanahalli centre conducted vaccination awareness campaigns among 3000 villagers and provided medicines to 100 Covid patients under home isolation. It also distributed grocery kits among 1000  daily wage labourers.

Haripad centre distributed dry rations to 125 needy families on 24 and 27 May.

Kayamkulam centre started a Covid care centre at its students’ hostel and accommodated nearly 100  patients.

Koyilandy centre distributed 20 PPE kits to Panchayat members on 23 May and ration kits to 2  families for 10 days. The centre also distributed ration kits (containing rice, pulses, flour, sugar,  potatoes, onions, cooking oil and spices) among 20 families on 28 May.

Kozhikode centre provided accommodation to 3 doctors and 4 paramedical staff working at a Covid treatment centre.

Pala centre distributed 620 kg rice, 124 kg green gram, 124 kg sugar, 124 kg rava (semolina) and 124  kg cooking oil among 124 needy families from 8 to 13 May.

Thiruvalla centre sanitized 87 homes 6 shops and 2 clinics in Thiruvalla municipal area, distributed provision kits to 25 Covid affected families, masks among 150 people, and homoeopathy medicine among 250 persons. The centre also donated 10 pulse oximeters to Thiruvalla Municipality.

Thiruvananthapuram centre is running an around-the-clock Rapid Antigen Testing centre and RT-PCR  sample collection centre since June 2020. Two isolation wards with 25 beds have been set up for triage.  Besides, it is running a vaccination centre where about 4300 doses of vaccine have been administered from 1 February to 10 April. The hospital has also arranged 60 rooms and 40 beds for the treatment of  Covid patients.

Bhopal centre distributed fruits to 100 patients in a Government Hospital for 15 days and ration kits among 200 families.

Indore centre served 1882 food packets among poor and needy people from 7 to 27 May and  distributed fruits and packets of biscuits to the patients of the Government Hospital in

Mumbai centre treated 51 Covid patients at its hospital. It is also running (i) a free Covid testing facility where on average 75 patients are tested daily, and (ii) a free vaccination centre in which 842  doses were administered between 11 and 24 May.

Shillong centre provided space in its dispensary from 10 April for vaccinating the general public. A  total of 2260 people were vaccinated till 10 May.

New Delhi centre served cooked food to 5800 persons from 1 April to 15 May and supplied medicines, 100 face masks and 30 pulse oximeters to four Covid care centres. The centre also distributed five 5- litre oxygen concentrators and ten 10-litre oxygen concentrators to Covid care centres and others.

Bhubaneswar centre distributed 1500 kg rice, 600 kg pulses, 750 kg potatoes, 450 kg onions, 150 litres cooking oil, 300 kg salt and 300 bars of soap among 150 families in the Khurda district.

Puri Math centre served meals to 13 police personnel on 9 April and supplied 200 masks to the local police station. The centre also provided accommodation to 2 tribal students.

Khetri centre is serving lunch and dinner to patients, attendants and doctors at a government-run Covid care centre in Khetri since 17 May. Also, the centre provided 25 oxygen cylinders and 700 medicine kits to a government hospital in Khetri on 17 May.

Chengalpattu centre served 300 packets of cooked food to affected people in Chengalpattu district from 13 to 26 May.

Chennai Math and Chennai Students’ Home are jointly serving 300 packets of lunch to volunteers,  staff and caregivers in a hospital and dinner to needy people daily from 25 May. These centres also distributed 538 Covid care kits (containing a pulse oximeter, a digital thermometer, face masks, sanitisers, bars of soap, multivitamin and zinc tablets) among Covid patients under home care and 883  flasks and steam inhalers among doctors and nurses from 20 to 30 May.

Madurai centre served 19,200 plates of cooked food and distributed 286 ration kits (each kit containing 2 kg flour, 2 kg semolina, 3 kg pulses, 1 kg black gram, 1 kg gram, 200 gm spices, 1 litre cooking oil, 1 kg salt and 1 packet of biscuits) among poor families from 15 to 24 May.

Nattarampalli centre distributed 47,000 kg rice, 3030 kg pulses, 1451 litres cooking oil, 2875 kg salt,  592 kg tamarind, 575 kg assorted spices and 3436 packets of biscuits among 3030 families from 15 to  28 May.

Ootacamund centre served cooked food to 2283 home quarantined people and beggars from 25 to 30  May.

Salem centre served cooked food to 500 patients at a government hospital in Salem from 15 to 26  May. The centre also handed over 80 cots (with all accessories like mattresses, pillows, pillow covers and bedspreads), 10 infrared thermometers, 5 pulse oximeters, 60 face shields and 500 hand sanitiser bottles to the hospital. The centre also served lunch packets to 50 sanitary workers of Salem  Corporation from 24 to 31 May.

Thanjavur Math (a sub-centre of Chennai Math) distributed 910 kg wheat flour, 2730 kg pulses, 910  kg semolina, 1820 kg salt, 910 kg jaggery powder, 1092 litres cooking oil, 546 kg vermicelli, 1565 kg assorted spices, 910 kg tamarind, 364 kg assorted vegetables, 182 kg raisins, 182 kg tea powder, 182  kg coffee powder, 1820 bars of washing soap, 1820 bars of soap, 1820 sanitary pads, 120 packets of  Ayurvedic powder (for boosting immunity), 1820 tubes of toothpaste and 1820 packets of incense sticks among 1820 families from 8 to 22 May.

Viveknagar centre, Agartala, arranged vaccination for 329 persons.

Lucknow centre is running a 93-bed ward for Covid patients since 1 April. The centre installed a new oxygen plant on 1 May and is providing free oxygen supply and other medical care to Covid patients in and around Lucknow.

Varanasi Home of Service centre is running a 48-bed Covid ward for patients. The Home is also running a vaccination centre where 1248 persons were vaccinated till 22 May.

Vrindaban centre has reserved 160 beds for Covid patients in its hospital. A total of 422 patients were admitted to the hospital and 1477 patients were treated in the OPD from 2 April to 24 May. The hospital is also running a vaccination centre where 1845 doses have been administered so far.

Dehradun centre converted its eye hospital into a Covid care centre with 33 beds and is also running a vaccination centre. Besides, the centre is extending support to a 27-bed Covid care centre at Agastyamuni town in Rudraprayag district. The centre distributed 38,000 kg rice, 38,000 kg flour, 760  kg pulses, 380 kg salt, 1900 kg sugar, 95 kg soya chunks, 760 litres cooking oil, 152 kg assorted spices,  95 kg milk powder, 114 kg tea leaves, 760 bars of soap, 380 bars of washing soap, 380 kg washing powder, 380 toothbrushes, 380 tubes of toothpaste, 38 litres hand sanitiser, 2280 face masks and some necessary medicines among 380 families at Yamunotri and Dehradun.

Kankhal centre is running a 150-bed Dedicated Covid Hospital Centre; it treated more than 1150  patients from 23 April to 10 May. Besides, a total of 3500 doses have been administered at the vaccination centre run by the centre.

Mayavati centre has offered beds at its hospital to the district administration for emergency situations and supplied 7 oxygen cylinders to them.

Asansol centre sanitized 5 Covid-affected localities and 500 residential premises and distributed 3000  face masks in Paschim Bardhaman district on 11 and 15 May.

Bajepratappur centre, Bardhaman, served cooked food to 250 slum children and distributed 200 kg rice, 30 kg pulses, 100 kg chira (rice flakes), 30 kg soya chunks, 100 kg potatoes, 60 kg milk powder, 100 saris, 50 dhotis and 600 face masks among 250 families in Purba Bardhaman district from 12 to  15 May.

Gadadhar Ashrama, Kolkata, served cooked food to 694 people in Kolkata from 3 to 29 May.

Headquarters, Belur Math, distributed 10,250 kg rice, 10,250 kg flour, 4100 kg pulses, 10,250 kg potatoes, 4100 kg onions, 2050 kg salt, 4100 kg sugar, 2050 kg soya chunks, 2050 litres cooking oil,  410 kg assorted spices, 4100 bars of soap, 2050 kg washing powder and 8200 face masks among 2050  families in Howrah district from 21 to 31 May.

Jayrambati centre distributed groceries among 600 widows and gave homoeopathic medicine to about  800 families.

Jhargram centre conducted awareness campaigns and served cooked food to 4 families twice a day.  It also distributed 500 kg rice, 200 kg pulses, 100 saris, 100 face masks and 100 hand sanitiser bottles among 100 families in the Jhargram district on 10 and 12 May. The centre’s ambulance was utilized for taking patients to hospitals. The centre also served cooked food to 350 poor people on 26 May.

Kasundia centre, Howrah, served cooked food to 1000 needy people in April and distributed ration kits (containing rice, pulses, potatoes and soya chunks) among 30 families on a daily basis from 1  May.

Malda centre served 4001 food packets and provided 21 oxygen cylinders to Covid patients.  Telemedicine service was also provided to 24 persons from 1 to 30 May. In the vaccination camp held at the ashrama, 200 people were inoculated.

Nabadwip centre is delivering 100 meals daily to Covid patients under home quarantine from 17 May.

Naora centre distributed ration kits (containing rice, pulses, cooking oil, potatoes, etc) and a sari each to 200 families in the South 24 Parganas district. The centre also served a glass of milk and biscuits among  1200 underprivileged children on 30 May.

Narendrapur centre started a safe home for Covid patients on 28 May.

Rahara centre distributed 1100 kg rice, 440 kg flour, 660 kg pulses, 220 kg gram, 220 kg salt, 88 kg soya chunks, 220 kg cooking oil, 1100 kg potatoes, 440 packets of biscuits, 110 kg baby food, 220  gamchhas (towels), 220 bottles of hair oil, 440 bars of soap, 880 face masks and 220 hand sanitiser bottles among 220 families in North 24 Parganas district on 30 May.

Saradapitha, Belur, started an RT-PCR testing centre on 17 May and inaugurated a 50-bed Covid care centre on 29 May.

Sarisha centre served 8595 plates of cooked food among 1082 families and distributed 2500 face masks, 1750 bars of washing soap and 700 hand sanitiser bottles among the poor from 20 to 30 May.

Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, started a 127-bed Covid facility. The hospital is also running a vaccination centre where 2945 doses have been administered so far.

Bagerhat centre distributed 300 kg rice, 60 kg pulses, 60 kg potatoes, 60 kg salt and 30 litres cooking  oil among 60 families on 20 and 21 May.

Nadi centre, Fiji, donated 4 examination beds, 1 OT trolley, 10 hospital beds with mattresses, 3 hospital commodes, 3 mobilizing rollators, 100-bed sheets, 100 pillowcases, 2 pulse oximeters and 3 bassinets to the Nadi Government Hospital.

Durban centre, along with its sub-centres, served meals to 2570 people in Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg,  Chatsworth and Etete, and distributed food hampers to 431 families in May. Each hamper contained 2  kg rice, 1 kg pulses, 1 kg sugar beans, 500 gm macaroni, 100 gm assorted spices, 750 ml cooking oil, 1  kg sugar, 1 litre milk, 100 tea bags, 1 packet of soup powder, 1 kg maize meal, 1 kg salt, 520 gm jam,  washing soap, bathing soap and toothpaste tubes.

Phoenix centre, along with its Johannesburg sub-centre, distributed 3500 kg rice, 350 kg maize meal, 325 kg fortified cereals, 2200 kg pulses, 150 kg assorted spices, 120 kg noodles, 595 kg salt, 1500 litres cooking oil, 1500 cans of tinned food, 55 kg soup powder, 44,000 tea bags, 925 kg sugar, 525 litres milk,  225 kg pasta, 7567 nutrient fortified breakfast cereal sachets, 150 kg cake flour, 135 kg jam, 150 cakes,  108 packets of snacks, 700 matchboxes, 12,700 kg vegetables, 350 tubes of toothpaste, 1200 bars of soap, 504 adult napkins, 222 litres detergent, 695 assorted clothing, 50 blankets and 108 painting sets among 480 families in May. The centre also provided a litre of milk and a loaf of bread each to 13  families thrice a week and LP gas and gas stoves to 12 families. The centre handed over a month’s supply of unprocessed food material to 17 bannock-making and food bottling vendors in Phoenix, to give a boost to their business during the pandemic. Also, the centre distributed 2776 geometry boxes to indigent students at four schools. Further, the centre’s clinic sponsored 39 dialysis sessions and donated a wheelchair to a destitute patient and provided counselling service to healthcare professionals and workers.

Colombo centre along with its sub-centre at Batticaloa distributed 350 kg rice, 210 kg flour, 25 kg pulses, 3 kg potatoes, 35 kg onions, 14 kg spices, 35 kg sugar, 140 coconuts, 35 litres of cooking oil, 70 kg salt, 70 kg plantains, 630 kg chickpeas, 315 kg green gram, 266 kg milk powder, 252 kg health drink powder, 1470 face masks, 1260 packets of sanitary napkins, 630 bars of detergent soap and 70 diapers among 700 families in Colombo and Batticaloa on 19 May.

Cyclone Yaas: The extremely severe Cyclone Yaas made landfall over the Odisha coast near Balasore on 26 May and left a trail of destruction in many parts of Odisha and West Bengal. The cyclone rendered thousands of people homeless and caused the inundation of several areas. A number of our centres immediately started relief work by serving cooked food and distributing tarpaulins, ration kits and other essential materials among the affected people mainly in North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts in West Bengal. Details of the relief operations carried out by our branch centres in response to the  disaster are as follows:

Chandipur centre served 400 plates of cooked food in Chandipur block on 27 May.

Manasadwip centre provided shelter, cooked food, puffed rice, rice flakes, sugar, etc to 300 persons from 25 to 29 May and also served cooked food to 3811 people of Sagar Islands from 25 to 31 May.

Naora centre served 9921 plates of cooked food and distributed 400 tarpaulins, 400 mosquito nets,  200 saris and 200 lungis among the affected families in Canning I & II blocks of South 24 Parganas district from 28 to 30 May. Further, 178 patients were treated in medical camps in Bhangar I and  Canning II blocks of South 24 Parganas district.

Rahara centre distributed 185 tarpaulins, 555 kg Chira (rice flakes), 185 kg sugar, 185 kg sattu, 370  packets of biscuits, 92 kg baby food, 370 bars of soap, 185 hand sanitiser bottles, 740 face masks, 185  tubes of toothpaste and 740 toothbrushes among 185 families in North 24 Parganas district on 29 May.

Saradapitha centre distributed 4000 kg chira, 1000 kg sugar, 4000 packets of biscuits, and 200 kg milk powder among 1000 families in Bagnan I & II, Amta II and Shyampur II blocks of Howrah district from 27 to 30 May.

Sarisha centre served 14,788 plates of cooked food and distributed 5000 kg chira and 1600 kg molasses among 3546 families in South 24 Parganas district from 27 to 30 May. (g) Taki centre distributed 1000 kg chira, 300 kg sugar, 850 packets of biscuits and 52 kg milk powder among 520 families in North 24 Parganas district on 27 and 28 May.

Some parts of Gujarat were affected by Cyclone Tauktae which struck the state on 17 May. In response to the disaster, Porbandar centre distributed 1000 food packets at two shelter homes at Porbandar on 18 May, and Rajkot centre distributed 500 food packets in slums on 18  May.

Arunachal Pradesh: Aalo centre distributed 1 handi, 2 buckets, 1 mug, 3 bowls, 3 plates, 2 big spoons, 6 shirts, 6 trousers, 3 blankets, 3 sweaters and 3 coats on 22 May to a family whose house was burnt down in a fire accident in Kambo Tarsu village of West Siang district.

Bihar: Twelve houses at Harpur Krishna village of Sakra block in Muzaffarpur district were burnt down in a devastating fire on 12 March. Muzaffarpur centre distributed 12 relief kits (containing rice, flour, molasses, chira, biscuits, detergent powder, soap, water pots, mats and tarpaulins) among the affected families.

Gadadhar Ashrama, Kolkata, distributed 100 saris, 30 frocks, 10 shirts and 10 trousers on 24 and 28 March.

The construction work of two non-formal-school-cum-shelter-houses at Abhirampur and Jangalpur villages, both in Howrah district, has been completed. This project was undertaken by the Headquarters, through Saradapitha centre, in the wake of Cyclone Amphan which hit West Bengal on 20 May 2020. The shelter house at Abhirampur was inaugurated on 18 April 2021.