Three siblings raise over $280,000 for medical supplies in India

A worker checks ventilators inside the 900 bed Covid-19 hospital at Convention Center, which has been converted into Covid care cente in Ahmedabad. Credit: PTI Photo

Three Indian-American siblings raised more than $280,000 to send essential oxygen supplies for Covid-19 patients in India.

Founders of a non-profit organisation, “Little Mentors", they reached out to their school friends and families for funds so that they could arrange life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators and ventilators for needy patients and hospitals in and around Delhi.

"Our only request is to return it (the equipment) when it’s not further needed as the next patient can use it,” said 15-year-old triplets Gia, Karina, and Armaan Gupta.

“This is important as supply of these equipment is very scarce and the affected population is enormous,” they said.

The triplets said they also plan to keep a database of the needy population so that supply could be properly directed.

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“We need everybody's help in this as such an enormous task can only be accomplished by teamwork. We are very fortunate to work with an excellent team of physicians, both in the US and India. We are further working on getting vaccine supplies,” they said.

Previously, the triplets worked to reach out to senators and congressmen, requesting to lift the critical supply embargo.

"Although we hope and pray that this second wave of the coronavirus will go away soon, we are getting ready for the worst and asking people to be careful and help each other in this major crisis," they said.

Besides, the group plans to open distribution centres in major cities.