Minority communities contributing equally in COVID-19 fight: Naqvi

Minority communities are contributing equally in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic along with others in the society, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Saturday. He also announced that the Minority Affairs Ministry will launch 'Jaan Bhi, Jahan Bhi' nationwide awareness campaign soon to make people aware of social distancing and other guidelines for safety from coronavirus.

More than 1,500 healthcare assistants, who have been trained under the skill development program of the Minority Affairs Ministry, are assisting in the treatment and wellbeing of COVID-19 patients. Naqvi said these healthcare assistants include 50 percent of girls who are helping in the treatment of coronavirus patients in various hospitals and healthcare centers across the country. This year, more than 2,000 other healthcare assistants will be trained by the Minority Affairs Ministry, he said in a statement.

The ministry is providing one-year training to healthcare assistants through various health organizations and reputed hospitals of the country, Naqvi said. Various waqf boards across the country have contributed Rs 51 crore to the prime minister and chief minister relief funds for the coronavirus pandemic with the support of various religious, social, and educational organizations, the minister said.

These waqf boards are also distributing food and other essential commodities among the needy, Naqvi said. He said 16 Haj Houses across the country have been given to state governments for quarantine and isolation facilities for COVID-19-affected people. Various state governments are utilizing the facilities at these Haj Houses according to their needs, he added.

Naqvi said masks have been prepared on a large scale under the ministry's 'Seekho Aur Kamao' skill development program and these are being distributed among the needy. All people of the country are working unitedly and strongly to defeat the challenge being posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naqvi asserted that the people belonging to the minority communities are contributing equally in this fight along with other people of the society. Naqvi also informed that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has contributed Rs 1.40 crore in PM-CARES fund and AMU Medical College has also arranged 100 beds for the treatment of coronavirus patients. AMU has also arranged COVID-19 tests and more than 9,000 tests have been done till now, he said.

Quarantine and isolation facilities were arranged at Khwaja Model School and Kayad Vishramsthali at Ajmer Sharif Dargah for COVID-19-affected people, the minister said. More than 4,500 'zayarin' belonging to all religions from across the country were provided food, accommodation, and health facilities during the lockdown, Naqvi said, adding that these facilities were arranged by Dargah Committee, Dargah Khadims, and Sajjada-nashin. The Dargah Committee and its other associated organizations provided facilities worth about Rs 1 crore, which also included arrangements to send people back to their states, he said.