The coronavirus pandemic in India has directly affected 65,000 Indian doctors in the UK, because many have either lost family members and friends, or seen them fall ill with the virus.
The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), very quickly geared up to assist the crisis. So far BAPIO has sent equipment and support for food distribution worth Rs , 4 crore.
BAPIO President Dr Ramesh Mehta, OBE Chairman Dr J S Bamrah , CBE Secretary: Prof Parag Singhal and Treasurer Dr Arvind Shah informed that BAPIO has three ways by which they have extended their support.
It also include Telemedicine: Through which they have
set up a ‘Virtual Hub’, for tele-triaging with colleagues to making clinical decisions speedier. ‘Virtual ward rounds’ are provided to assist Covid wards short of
staff.
In Nagpur currently BAPIO have a virtual ward round centre at KingsWay Hospital.
“We are happy to extend this service to other hospitals who are short staffed. We are providing a fast reporting service to clear the backlog of radiological investigations such as CT scans. We are also connecting to rural centres around Nagpur for one to one support to doctors†they said through a communiqué.
Resourcing oxygen supplying equipment: BAPIO have so far send 130 ventilators, 300 oxygen concentrators, 5000 pulse oximeters to 50 centres in India along with PPE equipment and some basic medicines. Food packets and ration bags are being supplied to the daily wage earners who are out of job through local charities. This is a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions.
In Nagpur BAPIO is collaborating with Indian Academy of Paediatrics and COMHAD to assist them with distribution of equipment mainly in rural area. Dr Uday Bodhankar Patron of IAP & Executive Director of COMHAD along with Dr Raju Khandelwal Director of Kingsway hospital are helping BAPIO with this project.
Nimish khandèlwal is the co ordinator from BAPIO for the implementation. So far in Nagpur BAPIO have sent 30 ventilators , 80 oxygen concentrators, 2000 pulse oximeters along with PPEs and medicines.
