The feelings of helplessness grew stronger every day.
Dr. Ajay Ponugoti could only watch in horror the news reports coming out of India, his homeland. COVID-19 had taken a devastating hold on the country the past few weeks, and thousands of people had died. Crematoriums were overwhelmed. Hospitals could not handle the onslaught of patients. People were dying from lack of oxygen, something that seemed unfathomable to the Franciscan Health Indianapolis hospitalist.
“The most devastating thing is, after talking with people there and watching media reports, some of the mortality and deaths have come from lack of care: lack of oxygen, lack of medication, lack of appropriate interventions at the right time,” he said. “That’s really heartbreaking, because some of these lives could have been saved just by getting this care.”
Ponugoti and others at the India Association of Indianapolis vowed to do something to help. For the past week, they have been raising money for COVID-19 relief. So far, they have brought in more than $15,000.
Just as importantly, the effort has resulted in the donation of at least five oxygen concentrators, medical devices which can concentrate the vital gas from the surrounding air to help people with lowered oxygen levels.
“It’s been so encouraging to see many people, even those who aren’t of Indian origin, contributing,” Ponugoti said. “Even if it’s just $5 or whatever, it’s not about the amount. It makes us feel good that people are sensitive of these issues and they embrace the fact that this pandemic is global, and they’re willing to help other people.”
A second wave of COVID-19 infections has crippled India. The country began seeing a rise in positive cases in mid-March, and it has continued to skyrocket ever since. Officials are reporting more than 350,000 new positive cases daily, and it passed 20 million positive cases on Monday.
More than 226,000 India residents have died from the disease, though officials believe those numbers are uncounted.
Ponugoti has tried to stay informed of the crisis from afar. Born and educated in India, he still has family and friends who live in the country. Speaking to them over the phone, their descriptions of the situation is horrifying.
Their words recalled his own experience treating patients throughout the pandemic at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, which only strengthened his resolve to help.
“The sad story is that this second wave has hit them like a tsunami,” Ponugoti said.
In his role as a physician, as well as chairman of the India Association of Indianapolis, he was compelled to act. Uniting other association members and Indians living in the surrounding area, they started the fund to raise money to donate to relief efforts.
Reaching out on social media and through networks of Indiana organizations, they have raised thousands.
“Calling our family back and talking to people over there, it’s come as a shock. The only thing we could do was come together and see if we could give financial help,” Ponugoti said.
But more than simply donating money, organizers wanted to find a way to send specific equipment to India. The overwhelming crush of COVID cases has led to a severe shortage that made it difficult to get devices such as the oxygen concentrators. While the equipment is not meant to help those hardest hit by the virus, it can provide additional oxygen to patients with moderate cases.
Getting these into the rural parts of India, where there is little access to medical care, could be life-saving, Ponugoti said.
“People could be at home and able to breath additional oxygen, without the need for oxygen tanks, because it’s able to mix oxygen from the air,” he said.
A friend from India asked Ponugoti if he could help get any additional concentrators. He reached out to leaders at Franciscan Health Indianapolis about assisting. The hospital agreed, sending two of the devices to India through relief organizations.
“As soon as Dr. Ponugoti contacted our respiratory care department, we donated the two oxygen concentrators that we had in our hospital to this urgent cause,” said Connie Little, administrative director of respiratory therapy for Franciscan Health. “These concentrators can convert room air into 100% oxygen without medical gas cylinders or outlets. This allows a patients to receive the oxygen they need wherever they are.
“Our hope is that we will help a few patients in India that need life-saving oxygen therapy.”
Ponugoti also spread requests to the public, that if they had an oxygen concentrator they no longer needed, to donate it. He received one that way, and a portion of the donated funds were used to buy two more.
“In a matter of 48 to 72 hours, I could get five oxygen concentrators. I’m sure many other organizations across the country have gathered more to send to India,” he said.
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The India Association of Indianapolis is raising funds to help with medical relief efforts in India due to the COVID-19 outbreak there.
A link to the organization’s PayPal account for relief can be found at its Facebook page, facebook.com/MyIAI
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