Pune: Young professionals raise funds to donate PPE Kits to doctors at Sassoon Hospital
Pune, April 15, 2020: Few young women professionals from different sectors came together to raise funds for buying and donating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to doctors at Sassoon Hospital.
The group of 10 raised money from friends and family members through social media appeal, and donated 108 kits to the doctors yesterday. The kits were handed over to Dr Ajay Chandanwale, Dean of BJ Medical College and Sassoon Hospital, in presence of other doctors.
“We had been reading a lot about the scarcity of PPE kits that was putting the lives of doctors and nurses fighting Coronavirus pandemic in danger. We thought of starting this campaign to raise some money. Within three days, with help from family, friends and close acquaintances, we managed to raise enough for over 100 kits, which we donated to Sassoon within a week’s time,” said an IT Professional, who was one of the coordinators.
She added, “We are a group of friends who have been together for around 10 years now, since we came to Pune for college. We all participated, and drew in support, which made this initiative a huge success.”
There were challenges though, she said, as getting hold of suppliers and distributors was difficult.
“Finding a supplier was a task, as most of them were short on stock. Suppliers also said that getting government approval for selling PPE kits was a tedious process, which delayed sales many times. We finally found a supplier, who has the approval and could give us the kits within a week. We are happy to help anyone interested, or any hospital in need, with contact details of suppliers,” the IT professional added.
Describing the whole process as heartwarming as well as distressing, another one of the coordinators said that she was grateful to the generous donors, who helped. “It was with all of their help, that we could bring change, however small it seemed, and faith and hope prevailed,” she said.
The group of coordinators include four IT Professionals, a research associate, an academic fellow, a journalist, a makeup artist, a counsellor and a German content analyst.
For those interested in starting a drive, you can call or message the following number for details of suppliers: 9011995626
