Patel brothers to match Covid donations upto £1m for Gujarat hospital
ASIAN businessmen Vijay and Bhikhu Patel have pledged to match donations received up to £1 million to help Covid patients in India.
The brothers, who made their fortune in the pharmaceuticals industry, are behind the Waymade Critical Care Unit at the Shree Krishna Hospital in Karamsad, Gujarat.
Seeing the surge in Covid cases as the second wave continues to overwhelm India, the businessmen are now raising funds to support the 950-bed hospital. It is run by the Shanta Foundation and treated more than 5,000 critical Covid-19 patients last year.
However, with Gujarat recording about 10,000 daily new Covid cases, the state’s medical system has been stretched to the limit.
Anand district, where the hospital is located, has seen a continuous rise in cases since April 24. The biggest hospital in the district, Shree Krishna Hospital did not have any beds vacant as of last Wednesday (12), according to a local report. However, despite the pressures, the hospital said it has not turned away a single critical Covid-19 patient.
The Patel brothers started their fundraising campaign to support the hospital so it can provide more ICU and HDU (high dependency unit) beds with full ventilation support. Funds will be used to acquire new oxygen generators on-site, create a facility for recovering and stable patients as well as 3-ply masks, hand rub, N95 masks, PPE kits for caregivers and staff.
The Patels, who are known for their philanthropic work through the Shanta Foundation, said they will match donations received up to £1 million.
After immigrating to the UK in the 1960s, Vijay Patel ventured into the pharmacy business in 1975. Along with his brother who joined him in 1984, they built a multi-million-pound empire. They founded Atnahs Pharma UK in 2013 which has now grown into a pharmaceutical giant in the country with a portfolio covering 18 key medicines operating in more than 130 markets. n To donate or help raise funds for Shree Krishna Hospital, visit www.theshantafoundation.co.uk