Jetpur farmer offers lifeline to helpless

Rajkot: Jethsur Vala’s relative had died recently for want of oxygen support. The shell-shocked farmer from Jetpur went to attend his condolence meeting and he came to know that an oxygen cylinder is now lying unused there.
He instinctively knew that it was indication for him to do greater good.
Wasting no time, Vala collected the cylinder and reached home opening not only its doors for the needy patients, but his heart too. The 51-year-old farmer opened the ground floor of his three-story building for Covid positive patients. Soon, news spread in the small industrial town and within 10 days, Vala, along with his family, now takes care of 15 patients under his roof.
Jetpur, located about 70km from Rajkot city, is well-known for its saree industry and has a population of around three lakh. However, the town too is suffering the same woes like its bigger counterparts elsewhere from acute shortage of beds and oxygen cylinders for Covid treatment.
It all began with one patient, but Vala’s magnanimity soon pushed up the number of people wanting beds with oxygen and he soon had to allot the parking space and a room on the ground floor too for patients.
Vala told TOI, “I wanted to do something for the society during the adverse times but didn’t know what to do. It was then that my guru, Indrabharti Maharaj, asked me to start serving Covid patients. I started this service 10 days ago at present 15 people are taking treatment.”
Vala wanted to send his family to their native in Amreli district looking at their safety, but driven by the same sense of service the family denied leaving him alone. Today, his wife, and daughter studying in Class XII besides son studying in Class VIII are fully devoted to the cause of community service. On the second floor of their house, Vala runs a kitchen to feed the patients and their relatives. He also orders food from nearby restaurants. Female attendants of patients are allowed to sleep on the second floor at night while Vala and his family live on the third floor.