Bhaktivedanta donations help to care for patients in Delhi
THE charity wing of the Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire has raised £140,000 to help Covid victims in India.
Funds raised by the Lotus Trust will be used for a Covid nursing care centre with an initial capacity of 250 beds (with a potential to increase that to 1,000), while collaborating with the Iskcon Temple in Delhi. The facility will provide care free of charge for around 2,500-5,000 Covid patients over an initial three-month period, a statement from the trust said.
India on Tuesday (18) reported 263,533 new Covid-19 infections, while deaths rose by a record 4,329. Patients were dying without oxygen amid a Delhi surge with one death every five minutes, reports said.
“Help at this scale and sustaining care for three months will cost £1.85 million. With donations so far, they have already started treating patients in hundreds of beds and the daily cooking and distribution of 30,000 meals,” said Dr Sanjiv Agarwal, a consultant urologist at Imperial College and director of the Lotus Trust.
“The Lotus Trust is ensuring that 100 per cent of the donations are making a difference. I am constantly in touch with those providing this service to make sure it reaching those who need it most.”
The charity also distributed meals free of charge to families who were not able to cook or afford food due to the current crisis. It targets a distribution of roughly 2.7 million meals in three months, the statement added.
According to the charity, one patient can be fed daily for as little as £11, and 100 hot meals can be provided for a donation of just £55. n To donate, go to https://crm.bhakti vedantamanor.co.uk/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=42