(Chicago, IL: April 27th, 2021) “In the past week, we have been receiving nothing but mind numbing news from many countries around the world, particularly in India, the land of our birth,” stated Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (APPI) the largest ethnic medical organization in the country. Pointing to the fact that the statistics are chilling,
Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, while referring to the several proactive steps in educating their members and the general public about the disease, the preventive steps that needs to be taken at this time and most importantly, they are using all their contacts and resources at the hospital administrative and government levels to facilitate treatment protocols to be in place at the various hospitals in the US and in India, urged AAPI members and the general public to step up and donate generously as India, our motherland is facing one of the most serious health crisis in decades. “This is the time for immediate AAPI action. As doctors, we all share a visceral urge to do something about it,” he added.
Dr. Jonnalagadda said, “We have located a source manufacturer that supplies Oxygen concentrators each of which can save several lives in India. The cost of each unit is around $500.00. The Indian Embassy and Consulates have been extremely helpful, and will assist in the rapid shipping and customs regulations of these lifesaving units.
Dr. Jonnalagadda announced that “AAPI with the collaboration of numerous members/Chapters has placed orders for securing and delivering oxygen concentrators for 200 units to be delivered direct to hospitals in India with the help of SEWA International, a reliable non-profit organization”
Describing the current trend/spike in Covid cases in India as “the worst nightmare” Dr. Sajni Shah, Chair of AAPI BOT pointed out, “This is a far cry from the picture a few months ago about our motherland India, which depicted the virus to be on the decline.”
Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect, who is leading the AAPI Initiative to help and support plans to help the physicians and the people in India, at the conclusion of the brain storming session with hundreds of AAPI members, said: “Thank you and it was good to listen to every physician from US and India how to execute our professional services to patients in India.” Summarizing the deliberations, Dr. Gotimukula said: 1. Groups of physicians will form smaller groups with Indian physicians in your own state/region, and do it yourselves in your own language, and can use the model that are already in place for Tele-Consult. The Google sheet prepared by AAPI has the list of volunteers and we will update it regularly. 2. We have 3 Telehealth platforms that have been identified and it is a free service to physicians from India/US and patients; 1. EglobalDoctors.com; 2. http://Mdtok.com; and, 3. Click2clinic.com. Apps are available on iOS and Android.
In addition, with the purpose of educating AAPI members and their counterparts in India, AAPI is organizing educational webinars with small group of doctors on zoom. Dr. Gotimukula urged the physician fraternity of the need to educate your communities of the need to double masking and for “everyone must take the vaccine to reduce the intensity of disease if we become Covid positive.” AAPI is offering MD-To-MD zoom chats and discussions about one’s patients, disease, course of medicines, and progress daily 7-8 am IST/9:30-10:30 am EST
Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI said, “It is particularly painful and frightening, that the sudden widespread and intense shortage of the basic commodity we take for granted at all levels of management of this deadly disease, both at home, in an ambulance or at the health care facility — that of OXYGEN. AAPI members have risen upto the occasion and are offering the much needed services to their motherland in several ways, individually and collectively.”
Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Secretary of SAAPI said, “The AAPI Executive Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the AAPI Charitable Foundation are working together to get the initial order of two hundred units immediately, to jump start our response. he detailed about the exciting project, tele-consulting services for Indian doctors. “We had an officers’ meeting discussing the pros and cons of Covid tele consulting services and especially liability issues. We are extremely delighted about the overwhelming response to this.”
Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Treasurer of AAPI said, “Time is of the essence and we need to act fast to save lives. I strongly urge each AAPI member to please rise to the occasion and contribute money and time generously to help the needy. Dr. Kathula thanked all the volunteers and tele-health platform companies for sharing platforms and offering services at no cost to AAPI members, Indian doctors and patients for treating COVID-19. For more details, please visit: AAPI website: www.appiusa.org
