Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement Wednesday appealed the Muslims to pool Zakat money for purchasing oxygen concentrators on a large scale so that the people in need of oxygen supply during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could utilise them.
In a statement issued here, Chairman RTI Movement Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that the demand for oxygen was increasing day-by-day as COVID-19 positive cases were on a rise in J&K and other parts of the country.
He said the hospitals are not able to provide the oxygen facility to each COVID-19 positive patient who is in need of it.
The RTI Movement has appealed Muslims to pool Zakat money for buying oxygen concentration machines.
“The portable oxygen concentration machines which cost around Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 can do wonders in the ongoing crisis. Doctors have said that majority of COVID-19 positive patients whose oxygen saturation level is down need low-flow oxygen that can be taken care of by the portable oxygen concentration machines. Only very serious patients (10 to 15 percent) need high-flow oxygen that can be provided in the hospitals. If people pool Zakat money in the villages, mohallas and colonies, I believe each locality can easily get five to 10 such machines which will be of great help for the COVID 19 patients,” Bhat said.
He appealed the Islamic seminaries and Islamic religious scholars to come forward and make an appeal to people on the issue.