Hindu Charities for America Raises Funds to Fight Covid in India, Amazon Donates $5M of Medical Equipment

Oxygen concentrators reaching hospitals in India, thanks to donations from Indian Americans through Hindu Charities for America. (photo provided)

By SWATI ARUN/Special to India-West

As the second wave of the fatal coronavirus burns through India, Indian Americans are leaving no stone unturned to help India beat Covid-19. Hindu Charities for America is partnering with Navya Care, to send high-quality oxygen concentrators to underserved COVID-19 patients in India.

Several FedEx 777 charter planes have landed in India with over 81,000 kilos of medical supplies, oxygen concentrators, and over 300,000 N95 masks.

The campaign, HC4O2 (Hindu Charities for Oxygen), is raising funds to ensure a speedy and reliable supply of oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies for maximum impact during this emergency.

“We were collectively hurting to do something to help the situation in India. We chose to align with Navya Care as they had already figured out the sourcing, transport, and distribution of oxygen concentrators. It’s a relief to see the concentrators already at work at hospitals throughout the country,” said Gulshan Singh, vice-president for communications at Hindu Charities for America.

The oxygen concentrators are state-of-the-art, made in the U.S. and subsidized to 50 percent of the price; freight carriers are transporting supplies at no-cost agreements. One oxygen concentrator can be used by 60 patients for one month.

Navya Care is working with Tata Memorial Centre and the National Cancer Grid network of over 200 hospitals across India to ensure no delays in access to supplies once they reach India. The concentrators will be distributed across Goa, Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

Hindu Charities for America is a non-religious, non-political, non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas.

In related news, IANS adds from Washington: In a bid to help India in its fight against the second and more lethal wave of coronavirus, Amazon has sent critical medical equipment worth over $5 million to support hospitals and other COVID-19 care facilities across India, the e-commerce giant said May 19.

The critical life-saving equipment includes 82 anesthesia ventilators, 1,238 BiPAP machines and 60 ventilators. The medical equipment will be distributed to Amazon’s on-the-ground community partners such as the American India Foundation, ACT Grants and Swasth, who will distribute to verified hospitals and non-profit organizations across the country to ensure it reaches communities where it is needed the most.

In addition, Amazon is also donating transportation services to the American non-profit organization India Association of Western Washington and working to support the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and other U.S. non-profit organizations to help get medical supplies to India.

The e-commerce giant is also part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Task Force to help India combat COVID-19.

Earlier this month, Amazon India announced that it is working with global sellers on its marketplace to help them bring in about 9,000 oxygen concentrators for customers in the country. In April, the company announced that they are importing and donating 100 ventilator units.