Washington: An influential US organisation representing Indian-American doctors has launched a fundraising campaign to donate masks and other personal protective equipment to health care providers, who are facing acute shortage of these essential items in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to production and distribution delays in China, where most of the personal protective equipment (PPE) is manufactured, healthcare facilities are experiencing shortages of much needed masks and PPE, said American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical organisation in the US.
The AAP said on Thursday that it had launched a fundraising campaign to support their fellow professionals, providing them with masks that are so vital to prevent them from contracting the deadly virus.
“As we are not prepared well, our frontline soldiers (physicians) are working under suboptimal conditions with severe shortage of GS masks and other protective gear. As a result, some of the foot soldiers (front line physicians) have succumbed to this deadly virus,” said AAPI president Suresh Reddy.
A task force has been constituted to identify the hospitals and sending the supply of masks and PPE directly, a statement said.
COVID-19 is playing havoc on the streets and isolating family members at home. The results are catastrophic, Reddy said.
“We don’t have vaccines or anti-viral agents to effectively treat the patients with this strange disease. In the next four weeks, we will have a lot more Americans helplessly dying due to this virus. Now even young people in their 20s are dying from this viral disease. This is a global war on this ‘rakshas’ virus,” Reddy said.
India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu complimented AAPI for taking the lead in connecting hundreds of doctors across the United States to support and share experiences in this time of crisis.
Globally, a total of 24,057 people have died due to the novel coronavirus with Italy standing at the top with 8,215 deaths, followed by Spain (4,365) and China (3,169), the varsity figures stated.
America leads with 85,653 COVID-19 cases, followed by China with 81,782 and Italy with 80,589 infections, the data showed.
At least 1,290 Americans have died due to coronavirus so far. (AGENCIES)
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SPO-VIRUS-DAR-FOOD
ICC Elite Panel umpire Dar offers free food
for jobless at his Lahore restaurant
LAHORE, Mar 27:
In a heart-warming gesture, Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar is offering free food at his restaurant here for all those rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan is under a lockdown right now fighting the coronavirus outbreak after recording more than 1,000 positive cases.
“During this lockdown, people have become jobless. I own a restaurant named Dar’s Delighto on Pia Road in Lahore. People who are jobless can come there and eat food for free,” Dar, an ICC elite panel umpire, said in video message posted on Twitter.
Former captain Shahid Afridi is also carrying out extensive relief work through his charity foundation.
The 51-year-old Dar has officiated in close to 400 international games.
“Coronavirus has spread all over the world, and its effects are now being seen in Pakistan as well,” said the former first-class cricketer.
“The provincial governments and the central government have issued measures for you to follow for your safety,” the veteran umpire added. (AGENCIES)
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