Ghazipur (UP), May 12 (IANS): Few days back, Satish Kumar, an assistant professor at the Swami Sahajanand Post Graduate College in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, found his father suffering from Covid-like symptoms.

Though his RT-PCR report was still awaited, the doctors prescribed medicines for Kumar's father, which were promptly provided in a kit by a Gujarat-based businessman, who is from the district and is busy helping the poor and the needy in these times of crisis.

Meet Sanjay Rai, a businessman based in Kutch, Gujarat, who belongs to Sherpuria village in Ghazipur district and has deep-rooted connection with his village. Rai has been involved in social work in the past as well.

According to Kumar, the work which is supposed to be done by the government is now being carried out by Rai in the area.

Kumar, a resident of Ravindra Colony in Ghazipur, also said that a mobile van provided by Rai is conducting Covid tests in the area, besides providing medicine kits useful for the treatment of the dreaded disease.

Rai is lending a helping hand to the people in these trying times by providing oxygen concentrators, cylinders and other medical requirements, besides making arrangements for testing the rural population in the area.

On Wednesday, he handed over 50 oxygen concentrators to the district authorities besides giving one to the local journalists' association. Ghazipur District Magistrate, M.P. Singh, has thanked the entrepreneur for the gesture and appealed to the people to come forward to help the needy.

The Gujarat-based businessman is even helping in the last rites of the Covid victims whose family can't afford wood for the cremation. He is providing wood on purchase price to those who can afford them, and giving them for free to those who can't.

Afaq Hussain, a social worker living in Rajdepur in the district, said, "Amid the raging second wave of the pandemic, Rai is working for the people of the area, helping those in distress through his NGO by providing medicines besides testing the rural population. Also, the creation of a wood bank for the last rites has been of great help."

According to Rai, through his NGO, relief materials have been provided to around 15,000 people in the past three weeks in the district, while they are also working to support the district administration.

"We have provided 100 oxygen concentrators, repaired ventilators and established a 50-bed ICU in the district hospital premises in Ghazipur and Mohammadabad," Rai said.

His NGO is running a fully air-conditioned mobile bus for testing people, with a target of testing about 1,100 people on a daily basis.

However, Rai said that the people are reluctant to get themselves tested, which is a matter of concern.

Through his NGO, Rai has also arranged an ambulance fitted with ventilator to ferry the infected persons to the hospitals. A team of 20 doctors is also running a telemedicine facility in the district.

Many locals have also come forward to join the efforts but they don't want to be named as they fear that the administration may act against them. These people are providing food and other essentials to the people in the hospitals.

NGOs and locals have also come forward to help perform the last rites of Covid victims in Ghazipur.