The Covid Heroes bringing dignity to the dead

Sadiq Hussain and Rahul George worked with the Mercy Mission to give the dead a dignified sendoff. As a nation, we owe these frontline workers an interminable debt. HAMEED ASHRAF reports.

As the city recorded hundreds of deaths a day due to Covid-19, the burial and cremation of the dead became a matter of import. Many bodies were left unclaimed as families feared getting the infection themselves. It was into this scenario of gloom that a team of bravehearts entered, pitching in selflessly to help cremate victims as per protocols.

Among them was Sadiq Hussain, a Mercy mission volunteer who took up the task of helping people since the outbreak of the first wave of the pandemic.

“When a death is attributed to coronavirus in the news, people initially wouldn’t know anything about the person who died. They just see the numbers. Not many know what happens to the bodies of those who succumbed,” Sadiq said.

Mercy Mission, a charitable organisation launched at the start of the pandemic stepped in to give COVID- 19 victims a dignified send-off.

“At first, we worked on raising awareness about the coronavirus. Slowly, we saw different problems arising. This is when we decided to be a part of the solution in our city. I have lost count of the bodies we have cremated,” Sadiq told News Trail.

Also on the team was Bengaluru-based businessman Rahul George, who helped cremate the deceased when others hesitated, afraid to contract the infection. Rahul would drive the ambulance from the hospital to the crematorium and help volunteers with the cremation work.

“Rahul proved to be a man of bravery during the time. He used to join the team whenever there was a shortage of staff,” Sadiq recalled.

The team of volunteers used ambulances from HBS hospital in Shivajinagar. Later, the BBMP provided them with PPE kits and took care of the sanitisation process of ambulances after the bodies were transported.

The last rites of the dead were conducted according to the religion they belonged to.

“Wearing the PPE is difficult, especially during summer when it is so stuffy and we had to have it on for several hours at a stretch. But the happiness we got from helping people is beyond comparison. We were so moved when others joined us,” Sadiq added.

Supply of food to migrants

As migrants continued to leave Bengaluru, Mercy Mission offered support through food and toiletries.

Sadiq and his volunteers were involved in helping the migrants at the railway stations too. “We have had huge operations, making thousands of chapatis during the peak of the migrant exodus from Bengaluru, when trains carrying more than a thousand people each were leaving Bengaluru. Every day, there were thousands of people leaving from far flung places in Bengaluru, and each person was given a pack of rotis and chutney or pickle,” he said.

This was a time when people from different walks of life came forward and a fine example of community service was witnessed.