MedStar Foundation Donates PPE Worth $1.4 Million to Sewa International
Seen at the donation event are (right to left) MedStar’s vice president Ed Johnson, Indian American cardiologist Siva Subramanian, Sewa’s former president Sree Sreenath, Sewa’s Maryland Chapter coordinator Anita Roy and Sewa volunteer from Washington, DC, Abhijit Kaushik, who were present at the MedStar warehouse in Hyattsville, Maryland. (photo provided)
India-West Staff Reporter
HOUSTON – MedStar Foundation donated over $1.4 million worth of Personal Protective Equipment and two CPAP machines to Sewa International July 9 in an event held at the Foundation’s warehouse in Hyattsville, Maryland, according to a press release July 22. The PPE received by Sewa include N-95 equivalent masks, face shields, gloves, goggles, and full-length PP attire.
Ed Robinson, MedStar Health’s vice president of Integrated Support Operations, presented the PPE material to the Maryland Chapter coordinator of Sewa International Dr. Anita Roy. Dr. Siva Subramanian, Indian American community leader from Washington, DC, and a pediatric cardiologist at the Georgetown Medical Center, acted as liaison between MedStar and Sewa International. Right after the event, the donated material was sent from Hyattsville, Maryland, to Sewa International’s Atlanta, Georgia, warehouse in seven 18-wheeler trucks.
“We saw some of the challenges caused by the shortages of PPE in the rest of the world and we had some surplus PPE in our system. We thought it would be great if we could donate it to some other relief efforts that are going on. I thank Dr. Siva for connecting Sewa with MedStar and we wish Sewa the best and appreciate the work they are doing,” Robinson said, speaking at the event.
“This is the largest in-kind medical equipment donation Sewa has received from a hospital system in the U.S. Sewa is sending the PPE to Trinidad and Tobago and to a few countries in South America which are experiencing the second wave of COVID-19 cases. The CPAP machines will go to India,” said Sree Sreenath, former president of Sewa International, who was present at the event.
