News Libertad, Peru: Adventist Taxi Driver Helps Save Dozens of COVID-19 Patients

by Margiory Salinas, South American Division, and Adventist Review, courtesy Adventist Review

In the Libertad area in Peru, hospitals have collapsed due to a large increase in positive cases of COVID-19. According to official sources, by the end of July 2020, almost 26,000 people had become infected. Against that background, having oxygen readily available has become essential to help save lives not only inside hospitals but also outside of them.

Amir Cotrina Sánchez, a taxi driver and a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, lives in Trujillo, northern Peru. He is 37 years old, a married father of three, and has been a taxi driver for seven years.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, taxi work within the city limits was forbidden. Eventually, however, a rule was issued that authorized taxi drivers to work two days a week. Sánchez chose only one day, since the other day he was given was Saturday, a Sabbath day of rest and worship for Seventh-day Adventists.

Sometime after returning to his job, Sánchez felt weak, with chills, tiredness, and a sudden lack of oxygen. Worried, his family members gave him a portable oxygen canister so he could recover. He found that he did not need to use it, and his health was restored by taking only medication. As he improved and felt better, he returned to his cab.

After that, he decided to take personal protective equipment items in his car, such as masks, facial shields, gloves, and hand sanitizer, to sell to his passengers.

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