UP-112 policemen deliver medicines to nearly 15k people

UP-112 ADG ASIM ARUN SAID POLICE INTEGRATED CALL CENTRE IN LUCKNOW RESPONDED TO A TOTAL 5,41,592 CALLS FOR HELP BETWEEN MARCH 25 AND MAY 17 ON DIFFERENT ISSUES

LUCKNOW : Covering over 30,000 km in police response vehicles (PRV), trucks and private vehicles, the state police integrated emergency response centre reached out to 14,794 people to deliver lifesaving medicines during the lockdown period, said police officials.

UP-112 additional director general Asim Arun said that the PRVs provided doorstep supply of food grains to 2,00,381 families, transportation assistance to 24,201 people and even donated money and blood on several occasions in case of medical or other emergencies during this period.

He said that the PRV personnel help pregnant women going into labour, families in carrying out cremations of their loved ones who passed away during this period, helped senior citizens and children celebrate their birthdays by delivering cakes.

The ADG said that the police integrated call centre in Lucknow responded to a total 5,41,592 calls for help between March 25 and May 17 on different issues. The UP-112 also actively responded to help sought through social media platforms, he added.

Citing an example, Arun said UP and Delhi cops acted on the tweet of state-level relay runner Gulam Mustafa to deliver medicines to his grandfather from Delhi to Bahraich covering around 744 km in 16 hours. He said the Delhi police collected medicines from Safdurganj Hospital and handed it over to police officials of bordering UP district Gautambuddh Nagar. He said medicines passed through at least nine persons to reach the Begumpura village of Bahraich’s Metehikala. Interestingly, some people from outside the police force also became a part of this relay, he added.

In another example, a citizen tweeted about a 4-year-old girl of Kashipur, Uttarakhand, suffering from skin disease, and is under treatment by a Lucknow doctor. He said the girl was not being able to get medicines due to the lockdown.

The UP112 contacted her father and took medicines from his relative in Lucknow which was then given to a truck driver heading towards Delhi, who gave it to a PRV in Moradabad, which delivered it to the girl’s house in Kashipur with help of SHO Thakurdwara. It took over 12 hours to complete this relay of around 400 km.

The ADG said a physically challenged girl from Mathura called UP 112 on April 10 seeking help to cremate her father, and she had no money to bear the cremation expenses. He said the PRV personnel performed the last rites of her father, bearing all the expenses.

In another incident, a daily wage worker from Moradabad dialled 112 seeking help to get his wife admitted to hospital. The woman was having labour pains and her husband had no money. The PRV personnel collected ₹ 8,500 with help from some good samaritans and got her delivery done.

Arun said a young PRV personnel Happy Farhswal rushed to donate blood on April 10 after receiving information that a 25-year-old patient admitted in Fortis Hospital in Gautambuddh Nagar for surgery and urgently needed blood (rare blood group- O negative) which is not available anywhere.

Similarly, the rare O negative blood was donated by PRV constable Vikes Choudhary in Lucknow on May 18 and constable Sanjay Chauhan donated blood to a cancer patient in Prayagraj on May 19.

In another incident, a wife of a naval officer tweeted and requested for celebrating her daughter’s first birthday on April 29. The 112 staff made all arrangements for the celebration with cake and a greeting card delivered at their doorstep