1,400 litres of oxygen for Mumbai hospital from Gibraltar, with love

Vipul Surti and Rasiklal Surti

A Bhayander resident who moved to Europe nearly two decades ago, has stepped up to help his mother country in these tough times. He and his son have arranged for 1,400 litres of oxygen for a hospital in Mira-Bhayander. Rasiklal Surti, 57, and Vipul, 34, plan to help further by starting a kitchen to provide food to poor people free of cost.

Surti moved to Gibraltar near the Spain border about 20 years back and Vipul joined him eight years back. They have a food business there. However, they kept in touch with locals and friends in Bhayander. After seeing the chaos due to Covid-19 in India, some time back Surti started the Ruthfull Foundation to help those affected by it.

Ziddi Maratha Pratishthan President Pradeep Jangan said, "Vipul is regularly in touch with us and takes updates about the Covid-19 pandemic here. Last year, he helped the needy by paying for their groceries. This year he found about the shortage of oxygen. He immediately contacted the local Hanuman Mitra Mandal president Suyog Borkar and Jay Bhawani Mitra Mandal's Amit More and asked them to arrange for oxygen which he and Rasiklal paid for. On Sunday the mandal workers gave 1,400 litres of oxygen - 30 jumbo cylinders - to the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital (Temba) in the presence of MBMC commissioner Dilip Dhole."

Speaking to mid-day, Vipul said, "Me and my family stay along the Spain border at Gibraltar. But sometime back my wife and two kids returned to Bhayander and are staying put there for a while due to Covid-19."

He added, "My father said we should help people in this difficult times. Through the Ruthfull Foundation we started helping people in Mumbai and Gujarat. We decided to provide oxygen to Mira-Bhayander with the help of my childhood frwiends and local mandals. We will also soon start a kitchen in Mumbai and Gujarat to help those affected by Covid-19."