Mission Vayu: 250 Ventilators, 4000 Oxygen Concentrators To Be Imported By Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response From Singapore
Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 24th April 2021: As the demand for oxygen and ventilators skyrocketed amid the surge in Covid-19 caseloads, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR), anchored at Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) has arranged for procurement and donation of 250 BiPaPs (ventilators) and 4000 oxygen concentrators for worst affected areas and hotspots of the country.
MCCIA president Sudhir Mehta, who is the Lead & Coordinator, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response, said, “This is one of the largest industry-led initiatives to support the healthcare infrastructure and tackle the pertaining oxygen shortages across the nation. These oxygen concentrators and BiPaPs will be donated to hospitals and institutions for charitable purposes and cannot be resold for commercial purposes. Mission Vayu is also supported by Amazon as logistics partners. Amazon will be handling the entire logistics of airlifting the ventilators and oxygen concentrators from Singapore to India through designated Air India and other international carriers.”
He further added, “The initiative is also supported by Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. We are also in touch with leading international companies to seek their support and partnership. PPCR is coordinating with respective partners and supporting organisations/offices and shall be importing the BiPaPs and oxygen concentrators on an immediate basis. We have already placed the order for 250 ventilators and 4000 oxygen concentrator units, and the first consignment is expected to arrive in India from Singapore tomorrow (April 25). We are also trying to source more critical care items from other countries like Israel, etc.”
Cost Structure: The per unit landing cost of BiPAP-Lumis 150 VPAP ST APAC TRI 4G is estimated around Rs 1.8 lakhs and Oxygen Concentrators are at a projected landing cost of Rs 60,000 per unit. The overall cost of procurement of these 258 BiPaPs and 4022 oxygen concentrators stands at Rs 30 crores.
Government Support: “We are thankful to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Civil Aviation. We are constantly in touch with their offices for getting special permissions and airlifting of the consignment through Air India & other international carriers”, Mehta said.
How will it help?
Mehta clarified, “Given the ongoing case positivity and fatality ratios, our medical infrastructure will face massive scarcity of essentials like oxygen beds, ICU beds and ventilators in the next few weeks. To support the healthcare establishments across major hotspots, these critical care items will be facilitated to Government and Private hospitals totally free of cost. Through this effort, we will be able to save atleast 15-20,000 lives every week.
What does PPCR need?
- Financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30 crores to MCCIA
- Distribution support to areas/districts/hospitals who need the items the most
The distribution of the BiPaPs and oxygen concentrators shall be done through a consultative process with all donor and partner organisations and associations. Given the scale of the initiative, the equipment will be open for distribution to preferred areas/hospitals in consensus with the donors, with a clear understanding that it is used only for charitable purpose and should be used on an immediate basis for COVID relief.
How to donate?
MCCIA Bank Details for Online Money Transfer Account Name: Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture Bank’s Name: AXIS BANK LTD, Savings Account
Account Number: 315010100016515
IFS Code: UTIB0000315
MICR Code: 411211009
Bank’s address: SENAPATI BAPAT ROAD, PUNE
PAN Number: AAATM5559Q
GSTIN: 27AAATM5559Q1ZS
(All donors will receive 80G certificate from MCCIA for their respective contributions)
Those interested can contact on email: [email protected] or call Satavisha Natu on +91-98505 86619. For any further queries and assistance, connect with Harshita Chauhan on [email protected] or +91-70301 52828
About Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR)
Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR), anchored at Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), comprises 250+ Private & Government hospitals, 10+ Government offices & 150+ Private and non-profit sector members. From raising funds to channelizing resources; from distribution of ration kits to arranging ventilators/HFNO’s and from training medical staff to counselling citizens, PPCR has proactively pursued the cause of supplementing government efforts and helped the system sustain the pressure.
PPCR has facilitated more than 300 ventilators, 130 HFNOs, 600 bed Covid Care Facility, Support Management of 24-hour call centre for patients & families, Implementation & handling of Bed Management Software, running one of the largest and most impactful district-wide vaccination drives, and much more.
In the last 2 days, PPCR raised 10-12 crores to set up 12 oxygen generator plants, which are now being set up at multiple Government and Private hospitals. With a combined capacity of generating 12 tonnes of oxygen a day, these oxygen plants will help save thousands of lives in the coming days.
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