As India faces an extreme second wave of the pandemic, an Indian-American non-profit organization has raised almost $4.7 million via social media for Covid-19 relief efforts. “This is a concerted initiative that will save lives, end malnutrition, reassure distressed citizens, and assist India in its decisive battle against Covid-19,” according to Sewa International USA.
Sewa picked up a batch of 2,184 oxygen concentrators for shipment to India on Tuesday. More than 66,700 Indian-Americans came out in less than 100 hours after the fund-raising drive began, raising more than $4.7 million for Covid-19 relief efforts in India, according to the statement. Sewa International USA has risen to the top of the list of Indian-American charitable organizations in the United States in recent years. “Our highest priority right now is to procure oxygen concentrators as soon as possible and ship them to India, where they will save lives. We’re also assisting hospitals owned by Sewa’s partners in expanding their capacity to handle more coronavirus-infected patients”,said the agency.
Volunteers from Sewa are focusing on creating a digital helpdesk to provide people with vital information such as emergency coverage, hospital bed availability, and blood and medical supplies, according to the organization. “Because the pandemic is causing economic burdens by requiring partial lockdowns,” Sewa said, “we are preparing to distribute over 10,000 critical item kits to families as well as support over 1,000 orphanages and senior care centers.” “We are also providing food and drugs to the vulnerable in various locations, working closely with our partner organizations,” it said.
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (APPI), the country’s largest ethnic medical organization, launched a national drive for medical oxygen, tele-consultation, and educational webinars to fight Covid-19 in India on Tuesday. “Now is the time for AAPI to take decisive steps. We all have a visceral desire to do something about it as doctors” , AAPI president Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda said.
“We’ve tracked down a supplier of oxygen concentrators, each of which has the potential to save many lives in India. Each device will set you back about $500 “he said. “With the assistance of SEWA International, a reputable non-profit organization, AAPI has placed orders for the securement and delivery of 200 oxygen concentrators directly to hospitals in India,” Jonnalgadda said.
According to a press release, the US India Chamber of Commerce DFW and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, both based in Texas, have sent the first shipment of 20 ventilators to the Indian Red Cross Society in Delhi, where they will be distributed to hospitals and field teams in disaster-stricken countries. “It is our spiritual duty to assist India in every way possible during this difficult period. We will continue to provide assistance as long as it takes to restore normalcy to the situation”, said Ashok Mago, the founding chairman of the US India Chamber, who assisted in the coordination of several of the appropriate funds,
Another 30 ventilators are expected to arrive in the coming days. Members of the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, who were organizing efforts from the Houston region, said members of the organization are coordinating with hospitals, NGOs, medical schools, and government bodies in India, to ensure that the equipment is sent to qualified professionals who can use it right away.
