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Breathe India

Rajan Subbiah MD - Crystal Run Healthcare
Posted 6/7/21

As the U.S. sees a slow but long awaited return to normalcy with the return of small businesses and the lifting of mask mandates, in other parts of the world the reality is quite grim.

India's …

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Breathe India

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As the U.S. sees a slow but long awaited return to normalcy with the return of small businesses and the lifting of mask mandates, in other parts of the world the reality is quite grim.

India's deadly second COVID-19 wave has brought on a humanitarian disaster and has rapidly overwhelmed the under-resourced healthcare system. The Indian diaspora watches with anguish as the death toll has crossed 4,000 per day with total cases now topping 27 million.

After fighting the COVID crisis in the U.S. tirelessly from the frontlines and witnessing firsthand, the indiscriminate mercilessness of the virus, thousands of Indian origin healthcare workers are filled with dread as they keep in contact with loved ones left behind.

For Sullivan County OB-GYN Dr. Tapti Panda and her husband Dr. Rajan Subbiah, a pulmonary critical care physician, this was a call to action. They love serving the vibrant yet underserved local community where they have raised their children for over 13 years; in troubled times like these, they are reminded of their own childhood homes.

The Breathe India campaign was created to help rural Indian communities struggling to overcome this deadly disease. With a large influx of critically-ill patients in need of medical attention, helping hospitals provide oxygen allows more patients to tide over the acute phase of the disease while currently available medical treatments take effect.

With the selfless support of friends, family, colleagues and good samaritans in the local community and beyond, the campaign managed to raise enough funds to send 80 portable oxygen concentrators to India with 50 already in use and 30 arriving this week.

They are being utilized in hospital settings, oxygen shelters and in some cases at home under supervision. Fifty more units are in the process of procurement and shipping by air freight to hard hit regions of India.

However, “the mission is far from over,” says Panda. She receives phone calls everyday from people telling heartbreaking stories of hospitals running out of beds, patients suffering at home without access to oxygen supplies, and of families having to console loved ones over the phone, unable to visit due to strict travel regulations.

Shortages of food, medical supplies, and even cremation services leave many with feelings of hopelessness. “People are still suffering, and as long as there's something I can do about it, I will help”, she states, determined to continue to make a difference. The Breathe India campaign cannot thank its supporters enough for their compassion, generosity and solidarity in these times of extraordinary global suffering.

Humanity and grit are two things that even a virus cannot infect; and the strength people around the world have shown throughout this pandemic has made this ring truer than ever.

To support the Breathe India Campaign, use the QR code to navigate to our page or use https://gofund.me/ bbdd7391. QR1

For corporate match and corporate donations please access Breathe India's non profit partner: https://actfoundation.org/home/ QR2

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