Munmun Sarkar, Bengal’s 1st woman e-rickshaw driver provides free rides to COVID patients

Amid the unprecedented second wave of coronavirus in the country, a 49-year-old woman Munmun Sarkar from Siliguri has extended a helping hand to COVID-19 patients by becoming the first woman e-rickshaw driver in North Bengal as she turned her e-rickshaw into an ambulance. Since then has been providing 24 hours free-of-cost rides. She also drops the patients back to their homes. 

She was quoted by ANI saying, "Last year during the time of COVID-19 pandemic, ambulance drivers were taking too much money from the family members of the COVID-19 patients. At that time I decided to turn my e-rickshaw into an ambulance and started ferrying COVID positive patients in free of cost."

Munmun informed that she also sanitizes the homes of the COVID-19 patients, and other places like police stations, crematoriums, and religious places.

She added, "While ferrying the COVID patients to and from the hospital, I realized that sanitization is important to combat COVID. Then someone gifted me a sanitizing machine, making my work easier." "I want to do something that will be remembered even after I die, " she stated when asked if she is not scared of the deadly virus. Till now, she has ferried around 5,000 patients.

COVID situation in India

India reported 1,00,636 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 61 days, taking the infection tally to 2,89,09,975, while the number of active cases dropped to 14,01,609, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Monday. 

The death toll due to coronavirus reached 3,49,186 with 2,427 new fatalities, the lowest in around 45 days, the data updated at 8 am showed. A total of 96,982 new cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours on April 6. Also, 15,87,589 tests were conducted on Sunday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 36,63,34,111, while the daily positivity rate was recorded at 6.34 percent. It has been less than 10 percent for 14 consecutive days, the ministry said. The weekly positivity rate has declined to 6.21 percent. The number of active cases has reduced to 14,01,609, comprising 4.85 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 93.94 percent.

(With ANI Inputs)