District Rotarians reach out in a timely manner to support individuals and communities in severely COVID-19 impacted India

District 1040 Rotarians reach out in a timely manner to support individuals and communities in India impacted by COVID-19

Aireborough Rotary Club

Aireborough Rotary Club reached out quickly to their sister club in Tamil Nadu, India, working together to identify need and launch an appeal which in two weeks has raised £15,500.00 plus a further £1,000 pledged from 23 clubs across the District. They have also received some very generous personal donations. The first amount of money has been sent to India to purchase 5 oxygen concentrators which will be collected by Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Madras Chennapatna’s and delivered to the local hospital to be used for those in most need.

DG Andrew and I had the privilege of meeting with President Raj Mani from Aireborough Club, the AG Rajagopal Geethu from District 3232 and B Chakravarty, President of Chenna Patna Rotary Club, President Elect N Amunthan and Rotarian Ram Kevalur last week.  They all expressed their thanks and gratitude to every one of you for the kind donations that will make so much difference to so many people in India. We all acknowledged these are difficult times and working together, now and in the future, is so important.

The Aireborough appeal closed on 20^th May 2021.  Clubs wishing to donate after 20^th May can send any donations to the appeal been supported by Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary Club, details below:

Help India COVID-19 Initiative

Mr Raj Rao, a consultant surgeon at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust is working with Rotary club of Ilkley Wharfedale and Bangalore District 3190 to support medics in India as they deal with the overwhelming numbers of coronavirus patients. Mr Raj Rao is in contact with Rtn.B.L.Nagendra Prasad  from Bangalore District Governor District 3190.

Mr Raj Rao who is originally from Bangalore has lost several of his own close relatives to Covid and knows many others have lost their near and dear ones too due to lack of proper advice and timely access to medical care. This initiative is an ambitious aim of raising £250,000 to buy essential medical equipment such as pulse oximeters, oxygen concentrators and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. 

Typically, cost of a hospital standard kit:

·      Oxygen concentrator around £2000

·      Pulse oximeter costs around £50

·      CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine around £1000 

Initially, India thought that they successfully curtailed the first wave and selflessly helped the world with vaccination supplies but it needs our help now.  The equipment we are seeking to fund is essential to help care for patients who are desperately ill.

The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale are supporting this initiative in collaboration with Bangalore Rotary club and have already donated.

The funding will also support a virtual helpline from experts in the UK to support Covid victims in health camps to avoid admission into already overstretched hospitals.

The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale is involved in the further development of this initiative.  If your Club would like to make a donation to this project please send your donations

to the

Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale.

Sort 53 61 23

Act. No. 16033159

(p.s we may be able to claim Gift Aid by this route)

Individuals can also donate to Mr Raj Rao’s Help India COVID-19 fund via  https://uk.gofundme.com/f/help-india-covid19-crisis 

Bangalore Cantonment Rotary Trust State Bank of India

4007 2875 368

00691

SBIN0000691 SBININBB104

FCRA Cell, 4th Floor, State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch,

11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001

Further donations have been made by individual Rotary Clubs who have sent money via other routes.  The Bradford Assistant Governor area, Roundhay Rotary Club and Bradford Synagogue have sent donations to the British Asian Trust - Oxygen for India.

District Club and Personal Donations

At the time of publication (27^th May 2021) this is a list of Clubs, and personnel donations through Clubs, who have donated to the Aireborough appeal:

+  10 Additional Personal Donations made to the Aireborough Appeal. There was one Rotarian’s gift aided donation of £3000.00

Total £15,550.00 + a possible additional £1,000.00 pledged

Sharing Updates from Fellow Rotarians

Rotary District 3060 Governor Prashant Jani in Rotary sweat shirt, visited Alipore Hospital to inspect newly arrived oxygen plant donated by Leuva Patidar Samaj UK and USA

Volunteers receiving Oxygen Equipment

“Now we will be able to supply oxygen 24 hours a day to 50 patients with help of this plant and cylinders we bought with generous donation of £1762 (₹176920) by Thakorbhai Patel and Leuva Patidar Samaj, Bradford Yorkshire. God bless you all.” Thank you All and particularly Ramesh Patel, President, Leuva Patidar Samaj, Bradford.

Alipore Hospital’s Chikhli Covid Care Centre, A 50 Bedded Isolation Centre at Saurashtra Kadva Patidar Samaj Hall at Chikhli

Rotary Club of Chikhli River Front in Gujarat State, India

and “Thank you is very small word to express our gratitude and appreciation

As a Rotary Club of Chikhli River Front’s Corona Warriors Team we are proud of our Doctors, Nursing staffs and volunteers for working selflessly 24x7 during this pandemic.

You are all real heroes of the society.”

An update from Leuva Patidar Samaj of Bradford showing their donations and equipment bought is received ready for distribution.

All the FFP3 masks and PPE has arrived at Madhi sugar factory

Carol Jordan,

District International Lead

E: caroljordanx@aol.com