To India with Love
Donation protected
To India with love
India (population 1.3 billion) is in the grip of a deadly second Covid wave.
It is difficult to forget the sight of refrigerated mobile morgues in New York and the constant wail of ambulance sirens in London during the first Covid wave last year 2020. Multiply that by the size of India’s population, dense living conditions, a mutated virus several times more virulent and a country caught blindsided. The numbers sick is unprecedented, and the healthcare system is utterly overwhelmed. Yet there are countless stories of stunning courage, heroism and sacrifice, unparalleled in human history. I know some personally. India has always been a land of extremes.
It has been difficult to watch this unfold from London. Earlier this week, our venture fund and six portfolio companies contributed towards a pack of 460 oxygen cylinders for deployment in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR). These cylinders are being shipped from Shanghai to the Gurgaon based NGO Hemkunt Foundation (https://hemkuntfoundation.com/) for deployment as required. The cylinders will arrive by 7th May. A few cylinders are less than a drop in the grand scheme of things but humbly hope it makes a difference to someone .
Had wanted the gesture to remain anonymous but sharing this because a group of us now wish to replicate the initiative above in a different part of India. India is a country sub continent in size. West Bengal (bordering Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh) is one of India’s 29 states with a population of 90.3 million (UK population 66.7 million). The visuals from New Delhi have been acutely disturbing but India is equally hurting in other parts too. Please let us come together - quickly - to save as many lives as possible.
The West Bengal Health Secretary is responsible for the health of 90.3 million. The Health Secretary and I had virtually connected just 1.5 months ago (serendipity) and he had shown me enormous grace and kindness. I would not want to be in his shoes today. It requires untold selflessness, raw courage, ability to keep emotions under check and calm leadership to quickly save as many lives as possible.
I asked the Health Secretary two days ago Thursday night what equipment would be most beneficial for government hospitals if we could quickly raise 400,000 pounds. His response was High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), Oxygen concentrators, Oxygen cylinders.
India has sufficient oxygen now, the vast manufacturing prowess having been harnessed for medical use. Storage and transportation to the end user remains a bottleneck , hence the need for cylinders and concentrators to ensure the desperately needed oxygen reaches the end user in need .
It is becoming very difficult to source equipment given demand. Two wonderful startup companies with connects with global manufacturers are helping source equipment. We need to be quick. The orders have to be secured with cash advances. Besides freight transport takes time. Every second counts.
Please contribute with love and healing prayers for India. Every contribution means much. Every contribution will help save lives.
#Through gestures big and small, we fight for India. We fight to win
India (population 1.3 billion) is in the grip of a deadly second Covid wave.
It is difficult to forget the sight of refrigerated mobile morgues in New York and the constant wail of ambulance sirens in London during the first Covid wave last year 2020. Multiply that by the size of India’s population, dense living conditions, a mutated virus several times more virulent and a country caught blindsided. The numbers sick is unprecedented, and the healthcare system is utterly overwhelmed. Yet there are countless stories of stunning courage, heroism and sacrifice, unparalleled in human history. I know some personally. India has always been a land of extremes.
It has been difficult to watch this unfold from London. Earlier this week, our venture fund and six portfolio companies contributed towards a pack of 460 oxygen cylinders for deployment in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR). These cylinders are being shipped from Shanghai to the Gurgaon based NGO Hemkunt Foundation (https://hemkuntfoundation.com/) for deployment as required. The cylinders will arrive by 7th May. A few cylinders are less than a drop in the grand scheme of things but humbly hope it makes a difference to someone .
Had wanted the gesture to remain anonymous but sharing this because a group of us now wish to replicate the initiative above in a different part of India. India is a country sub continent in size. West Bengal (bordering Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh) is one of India’s 29 states with a population of 90.3 million (UK population 66.7 million). The visuals from New Delhi have been acutely disturbing but India is equally hurting in other parts too. Please let us come together - quickly - to save as many lives as possible.
The West Bengal Health Secretary is responsible for the health of 90.3 million. The Health Secretary and I had virtually connected just 1.5 months ago (serendipity) and he had shown me enormous grace and kindness. I would not want to be in his shoes today. It requires untold selflessness, raw courage, ability to keep emotions under check and calm leadership to quickly save as many lives as possible.
I asked the Health Secretary two days ago Thursday night what equipment would be most beneficial for government hospitals if we could quickly raise 400,000 pounds. His response was High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), Oxygen concentrators, Oxygen cylinders.
India has sufficient oxygen now, the vast manufacturing prowess having been harnessed for medical use. Storage and transportation to the end user remains a bottleneck , hence the need for cylinders and concentrators to ensure the desperately needed oxygen reaches the end user in need .
It is becoming very difficult to source equipment given demand. Two wonderful startup companies with connects with global manufacturers are helping source equipment. We need to be quick. The orders have to be secured with cash advances. Besides freight transport takes time. Every second counts.
Please contribute with love and healing prayers for India. Every contribution means much. Every contribution will help save lives.
#Through gestures big and small, we fight for India. We fight to win
Fundraising team (5)
RATUN LAHIRI
Organizer
England
Bhaskar Majumdar
Team member
Gotama Gowda
Team member
Manish Chandra
Team member
Partha Chatterjee
Team member
