Ambernath's good Samaritan
Mohan Kulkarni's gesture came as a real blessing for Ambernath's civic officials.
Features
Vedika Mane
After the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, experts had predicted a second wave with more numbers. Since April this year, the spread of the second mutant has risen exponentially leading to thousands of active cases and loss of lives every day.
During these uncertain times when there is a continuous shortage of oxygen cylinders, vaccines, and ventilators, Mohan Kulkarni, a resident of Ambernath, Mumbai, donated a ventilator to the Ambernath Municipal Council. A retired citizen, he donated the ventilator worth Rs. 6.5 lakh with his life savings and also applied for a loan to the bank when he fell short of the amount to meet the requirement. In a small ceremony held at Ambernath Municipal Council, the ventilator was handed over to Ambernath Municipal Council’s Dental College Covid-Care Centre.
Mr. Kulkarni completed his primary schooling from a small village in the Satara district of Maharashtra but had to shift to the city owing to the worsening drought conditions in 1967. After graduating, he shifted to Ambernath and started his career. “I’ve been living in this city for 40 years now; last year I lost my wife to cancer and life isn’t the same anymore. We both believe in contributing to society and tried doing whatever was possible from our end.”
The 66-year-old initially thought of donating an ambulance to the municipality, in memory of his deceased wife. However, Dr. Prashant Rasal, the Chief Officer (CO) of Ambernath Council encouraged Kulkarni to donate a ventilator as they had enough ambulances. “My savings is all I had, so when I fell short to meet the total sum by 1.5 lakh, I contacted my bank and requested a loan. My objective was to contribute to the healthcare organizations and if one donation from my end is helping in saving several lives, I would be grateful.”
Mr. Kulkarni and his wife often did little deeds to help those in need. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple tried providing rations and essentials to the poor and underprivileged. “We’ve donated clothes and food to Vatsalya Trust Mumbai which is a non-profit organization helping destitute children through its orphanage and other social programs.”
When asked about his views on the current global crisis, he said, “In this unforeseeable situation, everyone is going through their own struggle. I feel helping people around us is all we can really do. Economically stable people should consider donating to healthcare organizations or provide the poor with meals.”
“Believing that we all have to give something back to society, is what makes me do more good to society. After reading this, even if few individuals decide to donate or help, a lot can change around us,” added Mr. Kulkarni.
