March 2020 saw South Africa go into a level five hard lockdown due to Covid-19 and a year later, communities are still crippled by its devastating effects.
Due to the hardships faced by residents in Tongaat, good Samaritans Collin Moorgan, Ractheal Pillay, Godfrey Pillay and June Govender formed the Covid-19 Helpline where they do whatever they can to assist those affected by the virus. Community activist, Moorgan said many families have lost their loved ones and breadwinners due to their inability to access to oxygen. “We realised our community would benefit greatly from our assistance with oxygen. Therefore the Covid-19 Helpline was formed with a sponsor for the first oxygen tank. Our 24-hour helpline was manned by Godfrey Pillay, and me being the first responder, prepared with everything needed to assist the infected resident.” Moorgan said his team created three WhatsApp groups and a Facebook page which resulted in them getting more messages for help. “As the infections rose the demand for oxygen grew and we further secured a donation of another tank. We are still taking calls from the community ensuring our helpline is always available to the community of Tongaat 24 hours a day. We have also started a King-soup Drive where freshly prepared soup is delivered to families and individuals who are infected with the virus to boost their immune system.”
The soup is prepared at the Zone 5 Temple site in Belvedere. The members of the Covid-19 Helpline were further assisted by temple groups and Rally For Life who hand out Covid packs to patients. They have also been working with a panel of doctors and hope to be faster and more efficient. “Each and every minute counts when it comes to a patient whose oxygen levels have dropped. The response team currently do not have a dedicated vehicle to transport critically ill patients to healthcare facilities, but are still going the extra mile with personal vehicles to assist. The members would like to thank all sponsors as well as volunteers for their time and efforts.” The Helpline is open 24 hours a day for advice and emergencies. Please contact the following numbers for assistance. Collin: 084-646-0343 June: 060-417-3768 Ractheal: 079-895-3192 Godfrey: 082-449-3737 and find their Facebook page: Covid Helpline Tongaat.
