Andhra Pradesh received Rs 6.72 crore Covid aid in 10 days: Nodal officer 

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has received Rs 6.72 crore worth of Covid aid from donors in the last 10 days, said state nodal officer Arja Srikanth, who has been asked to reach out to people willing to help the state in combatting the pandemic. More help worth Rs 8 crore is expected. Out of the total aid, medicines worth Rs 1 crore, and medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ICU beds, mask and others worth Rs 5.72 crore were donated. 

He explained that the objective for seeking help from individuals and organisations is to equip all government hospitals with equipment needed for battling Covid. The World Health Organisation (WHO) donated 100 oxygen concentrators worth Rs 55 lakh to Covid care centres in Visakhapatnam, and 100 more of the equipment were requested for Anantapur district. Jagadeesh Babu, CEO-Biosphere, provided medicines (Doxycycline/50,000; Ivermectin/25,000;Azithromycin/25,000, Vitamin C tablets such as Zincovit, Exosprin) worth Rs 25 lakh for distribution to government hospitals for Covid patients. 

India Bulls, which provided 20,000 kits with medicines for patients in home isolation worth Rs 75 lakh, has been requested  for another 20,000 kits. Nirman is establishing  10-bed ICU Units at area hospitals, one in each district. Thirteen rural hospitals have been identified in phase I.  The total cost of the project Rs 3.7 crore. Another 13 such units are planned in phase II. 

AP Chamber of Commerce donated 4,500 N95 masks and 10,000 surgical masks each to Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts, and oxygen concentrators to Visakhapatnam. Fundacion Vincente Ferrer- Barcelona, Spain donated 233 oxygen concentrators, 144 oxygen cylinders and other required equipment for ICU units to Rural Development Trust, Anantapur. Flex India donated 30 oxygen concentrators each to Krishna and Chittoor districts (value Rs  30 lakhs); Mana Telugu Association e.V. Germany (MATA) donated 10 oxygen concentrators to Government Hospital, Bapatla.