Sewa International is an RSS affiliated body
As India continues to witness a rise in COVID cases and oxygen crisis at hospitals, Houston-based Indian-American non-profit body Sewa International has dispatched the first batch of 2,184 oxygen concentrators from Atlanta.
The organization has raised nearly $8 million towards COVID relief efforts in India and has also ramped up its social media fund-raising goal from the earlier $5 million to $10 million now, news agency PTI reported.
Sewa said the oxygen concentrators left Atlanta for New Delhi by air on Thursday. United Parcel Service (UPS) Foundation is carrying the cargo free of cost, it added. “Thanks to UPS Foundation for carrying our cargo free of cost, making all arrangements, and giving full cooperation to move the material. India team has lined up the supply chain to efficiently distribute this across the country,” Sewa International said in a Facebook post.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to India. We are working with our partners to deliver much-needed medical equipment. The first shipment of over 2,000 oxygen concentrators for Sewa International are on their way,” the UPS Foundation tweeted. Gitesh Desai, a spokesperson of Sewa International, said the oxygen concentrators were procured using donations from Indian-Americans to help India fight this crisis.
“Sewa is in the process of building a digital helpdesk to provide critical information on ambulance services, hospital bed availability, and blood and medicinal supplies to people,” Desai further said. Sewa International said it has volunteers working both in the US and India, coordinating the work of raising funds, procuring medical equipment supplies, and getting these to hospitals and institutions.
Its volunteers in India are preparing essential supply kits to distribute to low-income families. Each kit contains groceries, basic medicines, masks, sanitisers and hygiene supplies, it added.
Responding to the overwhelming support Sewa received for their Facebook fund-raising campaign, the NGO’s Marketing and Fund Development vice-president, Sandeep Khadkekar, said, “We are deeply moved by the response we have received from all of you for our fundraiser. Sewa appreciates your willingness to donate for a cause that would save many lives in India.”
Pertinently, the country has hit a grim global record with 4,01,993 fresh cases and 3,523 deaths in the last 24 hours.
This is the first time that India recorded over 4 lakh cases after reporting 3 lakh daily infection for nine straight days. The country logged 1 lakh cases in a day for the first time about three weeks ago.
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