Covid-19 Relief Fund Raiser
Situation:
The people of Dhanbad, the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand, are in desperate need of your support today. The second wave of COVID-19 has hit, and India is recording a surge in infections of over 300,000 new cases daily, and a total reported death toll of over 200,000 since the pandemic began. With one of the lowest doctor-patient ratios as per the WHO guidelines, Jharkhand is also one of the worst-hit Indian states in the pandemic.
Hospitals and crematoriums are overflowing. SOS messages from hospitals and families of patients reporting dwindling resources and urgent requirements are flooding social media. Access to oxygen is in short supply and is an immediate and dire need.
Your contribution today can make a crucial difference as hundreds of thousands of Indians fight for their lives!!
Please donate to the cause on LinkedIn Gives by clicking here.
Background of the campaigners:
We are a group of alumni of various educational institutions in Dhanbad who have considered the city home at different times in our lives. Fueled by a desire to help the city where we spent our formative years, we have approached the local administration in Dhanbad for a rapid situation and response assessment. The recent appointment of three magistrates who monitor the availability of oxygen cylinders every 24 hours has revealed an urgent need to build the capacity of existing infrastructure. In response, this campaign will accelerate access to critical equipment like oxygen concentrators and feeding services for locals in the COVID-19 crisis.
We must raise USD 150,000 to procure 100 Oxygen Concentrators and supplement local ongoing feeding programs impacting an estimated 4000+ lives. Given the need of the hour, the alumni team driving this campaign, working across private, government, and non-profit sectors, have come together to ensure no city like Dhanbad is too remote to be left behind in the fight to alleviate a global pandemic like COVID-19. Our campaign is co-run by the Red Dot Foundation, which will help us implement the project on the ground and explore the potential to conduct a post-crisis needs assessment for psychosocial support to communities in Dhanbad in the aftermath of the disaster.
Fund utilization and resource distribution:
Phase 1:
The funds raised will:
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- Help procure 100 concentrators for the local administration, who will further distribute them to the hospitals. Currently, concentrators with 10L cost ~$1250 and 5L costs ~$750; freight and last-mile delivery charge additional and as per actuals.
- Support local NGOs and gurudwaras in Dhanbad to supplement and expand the reach of their ongoing feeding programs.
Phase 2:
As and when we succeed in meeting the immediate needs listed above, we will raise additional funds to expand similar support to the broader Jharkhand area and explore the potential for long-term rehabilitation programs.
Please join us in our efforts: bit.ly/CovidReliefDhanbad
For any queries on this fundraiser, including deployment of CSR funds (in India) and end-use of the campaign funds, please write to: sudeshna.mukherjee@alumni.lse.ac.uk