National News

Aarif Khan - A life dedicated to helping COVID-19 patients

An ambulance driver, Aarif Khan died after contracting the virus.

Sentinel Digital Desk

New Delhi: An ambulance driver in Delhi, Aarif Khan, who was 24X7 on-call, died of COVID. Khan, who used to work with a non-government organisation, the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal used to carry patients affected by the virus as well as ferried the victims for their last rites.

The NGO provides free emergency services to the COVID 19 patients in Delhi and other nearby areas. He stayed away from his wife and four children, who were living in northeast Delhi's Seelampur area. Khan fell sick on October 3, and tested positive for COVID 19. The 48-year old driver took his last breath at Hindu Rao Hospital on Saturday morning.

According to his colleagues, Khan used to do the rites for the deceased whose family needed help or if no one from the family was around. However, his own family could not give him a farewell. They could see his body for a few minutes from faraway.

Khan, who worked for around 12-14 hours a day, earned Rs. 16,000 monthly. He was the sole earner of his family. Now, with him being gone, it is a huge blow for his family.

India has crossed the 70-lakh mark of corona cases. However, 60,77,976 recovered from the deadly virus. The total number of fatalities is 1,08,334. Delhi alone counts for 3,06,559 COVID cases, with 2,78,812 recovered cases.