Doctors in America but Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani

When India was facing a deadly second wave of COVID-19, numbers of reported Covid positive cases were on the rise, thousands reportedly died daily, and hospitals and medical facilities were running out of oxygen and ICU beds, with patients left outside hospitals waiting for care, thousands of miles away and across oceans in the United States, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) did a remarkable job

The AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization in the USA representing the interest of more than 100,000 physicians in the USA, stepped up to the plate to deal with the crisis of India. Thanks to the overwhelming support of its members that AAPI raised almost $4.5 million in 2 weeks. The collection is still on.

The AAPI has been working very hard in sending oxygen concentrators and ventilators to India, to deal with the calamity in India and is in the process of helping to set up oxygen generator plants in different hospitals in India.

As AAPI cannot direct its resources to specific areas and relies on government of India to distribute its supplies, it is being done thorough Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, who has been working outside the umbrella of AAPI for directed transfer of the essential material, focusing mainly on the peripheral hospitals who do not get aid readily.

HELP INDIA BREATHE is a part of ApShiNi ventures’ endeavor by Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Urologist in Minnesota, USA and present Secretary of AAPI in helping individuals to donate Oxygen related supplies to India during this unprecedented calamity.

Dr. Chakrabarty is the Chairman of Non-Profit philanthropic organization ApShiNi Ventures (www.ApShiNi.org). He has done a remarkable job in coordinating donation of about 1500 co-ventilators to government and nonprofit hospitals all over India that was procured no cost from a facility in Minnesota with the help of an anesthesiologist from Dallas, Texas, (who prefers to remain anonymous) who connected us to the source.

The team from “Oxygen for India” (https://oxygenforindia.org/) – Oxygen 2 India is a part of ApShiNi ventures’ endeavor by the AAPI – helped in local transportation and airfreight to India without any charge.

The team requested Indian Council of Critical Care (https://isccm.org/) to send the message to hospitals in India that are treating Covid 19 patients and solicited requests from their CEO on their official letterhead, specifically stating that this would be used free and not-for-profit and will not be resold. “Based on solicited requests from hospitals sent on their letterhead, specifically stating that this would be used free and not-for-profit and will not be resold. They have had more than 175 such requests, and still continue to get them,” Dr. Chakrabarty said.

ApShiNi volunteers (www.ApShiNi.org) have painstakingly verified and categorized the hospitals on Google sheets (click link for list of hospitals). Volunteers from Heathcube (https://healthcubed.com/) and American Association of Yoga and Meditation (https://www.aaymonline.org/) are handling local logistics and delivery in India, after doing additional scrutiny.

With the help of the above mentioned anaesthesiologist from Dallas, Texas, who prefers to remain anonymous, and Dr. Indranil Basu-Ray, Interventional Cardiologist from Memphis and Chairman of American Association of Yoga and Meditation (AAYM) along with an army of volunteers from Oxygen for India, AirLift USA and FedEx International, Dr. Chakrabarty is coordinating donation of about 1000 co-ventilators from a facility United States to government and non-profit hospitals all over India.

Besides, Dr. Chakrabarty, along with Dr. Dayaprasad Kulkarni, physician from Syracuse NY and founder member of Arogyaseva Global Health Alliance (a nonprofit 501(c)3 in US with NGO status in India) are coordinating efforts in helping individuals and groups to donate Oxygen related supplies to India during this unprecedented calamity.

“ApShiNi volunteers have painstakingly verified the hospitals and put the information on Google sheets. The first batch of 980 Co-Ventilator’s have been allotted and in the process of being sent, and will be delivered to the hospitals. We expect 1000 more to be on the way,” Dr. Chakrabarty has stated.

Dr. Chakrabarty, along with Dr Aparna Vuppala, Psychiatrist Huntsville Al, Pugazendhi Asaimuthu, Data Management, NJ and many other volunteers with his team of volunteers have been coordinating individual donation requests in the USA and Dr. Daya is on the ground in Bengaluru helping with the local logistics.

“Thanks to the overwhelming support of its members that AAPI has raised almost $4.5 million in 2 weeks. They have been working very hard in sending oxygen concentrators and ventilators to India, to deal with the calamity in India and are in the process of helping to set up oxygen generator plants in different hospitals in India,” Dr. Chakrabarty said.

As has been noted above, since the AAPI has challenges in directing its resources to specific areas and relies on government of India to distribute its supplies, Dr. Chakrabarty has been working outside the umbrella of AAPI for directed transfer of the essential material.

This project is a separate initiative in sending supplies to main areas of need. This is probably the only way individuals in the US can buy small orders in the bulk rate to donate to specific hospitals or physicians in India. Once the form is filled by you; the Donor, the specified recipient you put in will get the order; these are NOT FOR RESALE.

These will then be distributed by Arogyaseva using the services of Shiprocket from Bengaluru (to specified recipients in major cities/ metros all over India and delivery to smaller towns will be attempted ( not guaranteed- recipients may have to pick up from their nearby city). The units are manufactured in China and the supplier is from Canada (Terra Nova Global) with whom Dr. Chakrabarty’s team in North America has a legal binding contract. The units come with a warranty for one year.