American India Foundation Delivers 100 ventilators for key medical hospitals in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, May 26, 2020: The American India Foundation (AIF) today announced it delivered 100 ventilators to hospitals providing care to patients facing COVID-19. The donations were made possible by Micron’s $1 million grant towards the pandemic in the state of Telangana. Grace Cancer Foundation led by CEO Dr Chinnababu Sunkavalli, facilitated the initiative with the Telangana Government. The ventilators were delivered to the Gandhi Hospital, Osmania Hospital and the Government Chest & General Hospital respectively. As part of the efforts to support health infrastructure needs in Telangana, 5000 PPE kits, comprising of N-95 Masks, coverall gowns, gloves, shoe covers, goggles, face shield, and disposable bags,  have also been given to the hospitals to help protect and enable medical staff carry out services to those in need.

On the occasion, Telangana Health & Family Welfare Minister Eatala Rajender who received the ventilators today in Hyderabad said, “Micron Foundation presented hundred ventilators to the Telangana State Government. We will install eighty of these in Gandhi Hospital and ten each at Osmania Hospital and Chest Hospital. On occasions COVID patients collapse due to lack of ventilator care and these will benefit such patients getting the right treatment. In the past when patients from deprived sections sought care in private hospitals, they were fleeced of Rs 30000 to 40000 for ventilator care and ended up with huge debt burden. Now in future the poor can seek quality care in the Government hospitals without any financial burden on them. Micron Foundation, American India Foundation and Grace Cancer Foundation facilitated this donation and are grateful to them.”

“Ventilators and PPE kits are critical supplies needed to treat patients save lives,” said Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director of Micron India. “Micron’s commitment to our communities runs deep, and we hope our support for these hospitals will help the region prepare for the expected increase in COVID-19 cases, and improve patient treatment and recovery.”

Mathew Joseph, Country Director of the American India Foundation added, “We have leveraged our robust network of NGO partners and worked with the Government of Telangana to ensure Micron’s generous donation has a measurable impact on the ground. In the next phase, we are intensifying efforts tofocus on vulnerable communities in an outreach that will cover over 14000 needy people, including women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are at the highest risk of catching infection.”

Speaking on the occasion Dr Chinnababu Sunkavalli, CEO, Grace Cancer Foundation, said, this donation will enable access of high-end medical care to slum dwellers, migrant workers and sections like that. We are also looking to work to ameliorate the living condition of such people by providing basic healthcare, livelihood opportunities and basic amenities to lead a healthy and hygienic life. That way we want to engage the whole community holistically, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to reach out this segment of the population which is in dire need of such services and will in the days to come positively impact close to 40,000 people.  

Besides contributing towards health infrastructure, AIF’s partnership with Micron is also focusing on needy communities in a multi-pronged approach towards dealing with the crisis.Key actions include the procurement and delivery of critical medical equipment and supplies to key hospitals treating COVID-19, hygiene kits to vulnerable communities affected by the lockdown,grass roots awareness around healthy practices that will prevent the spread of the virus in slums and migrant shelters in and around Hyderabad, free consultations with medical professionals, and distribution of masks in the community. The partnershipis also looking to provide short term livelihood options for the most vulnerable, including 150 women and people with disabilities. 

About AIF:

The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development, with anemphasis on empowering girls and women to achieve gender equity. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs and government to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a request from Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 6.7 million of India’s poor in 26 states.