As Pune battles the second wave of Covid-19 infections, the Pune Platform of Covid Response (PPCR) has stepped in with their effort to fight the virus. The platform, which has been in the forefront of arranging relief and medicines, is importing 250 BiPAP machines and 4,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore in the next few days.
Sudhir Mehta, president of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), said these would be distributed to hospitals with high concentration of patients.
Over the past few weeks, Pune and its neighbouring areas have been reeling under increased cases of Covid-19 that has strained the district’s health resources to the limit.
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Oxygen supply has become a major concern for hospitals that scramble to meet the increased demand for their patients. Patients and their relatives are running from pillar to post to arrange for oxygen. Pune district has 12,772 oxygen beds, of which, 598 are vacant so far.
Mehta said they decided to step in after the demand for oxygen and ventilators skyrocketed. The PPCR arranged for procurement and donation of 250 BiPaPs and 4,000 oxygen concentrators. This, he said, was one of the largest industry-led initiatives to support the healthcare infrastructure. These machines would be distributed to the worst affected areas and hotspots in the country.
Christened Mission Vayu, this mission is supported by Amazon as logistics partners, which would handle the entire operation. “The first flight would land in Pune and the whole lot would arrive in the next two-three days,” he said.
The PPCR has facilitated more than 300 ventilators, 130 HFNO (high-flow nasal oxygen), 600 bed Covid care facility, support management of 24-hour call centre for patients and families, implementation and handling of bed management software and running one of the largest and most impactful district-wide vaccination drives.
“We are one of the very few platforms, jointly supported by the government, industries, NGOs and medical fraternity. In the past two days, the PPCR raised Rs 10-12 crore to set up 12 oxygen generator plants that are being set up at multiple government and private hospitals. With a combined capacity of generating 12 tonnes of oxygen a day, these plants will help save thousands of lives in the coming days,” Mehta added.
The PPCR has invited donations for their ongoing work. For more details, contact: csr@mcciapune.com or call Ms. Satavisha Natu on +91-98505 86619. For any further queries and assistance, connect with: Harshita Chauhan on punefightscorona@gmail.com or +91-70301 5282.
