NEW YORK (TIP): As India’s health-care system faces a crisis amid a deadly second wave of coronavirus pandemic, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is leading several efforts to bring relief to India.
The largest ethnic medical organization in the US, representing the 80,000 strong Indian American physician community in the US, airlifted the first batch of 1,000 Oxygen Concentrators on April 29 through SEWA International, according to a press release.
In collaboration with its partners on ground in India, AAPI has also identified destinations based on urgency and acute need for the medical equipment, AAPI president Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda stated.
“We have no doubt, this is just the beginning of a long road ahead,” he said. “We are assessing the situation on the ground constantly and coordinating with various local task forces and teams.”
Dr. Sajani Shah, chair of AAPI Board of Trustees urged members to stay engaged and provide feedback to help AAPI tackle problems in a more effective and efficient manner
Educating the public and the physicians in India is vital to combat the virus,” says Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, president-elect of AAPI.
She has reached out to the Indian media across the platform offering regular series of educational materials to be published in India for the use and implementation of effective ways to treat patients who are impacted by Covid-19.
Dr. Ravi Kolli, AAPI vice president urged members to help secure much needed ventilators, which will also be critically scarce as the morbidity and hospitalization surge, out matching the supplies.
“AAPI is facilitating interaction between US and Indian doctors to advise them about the evidence-based protocols to treat Covid-19 patients,” Dr. Jonnalagadda said.
AAPI has evaluated 3 HIPPA compliant telehealth platforms to treat patients in India: http://Mdtok.com/dr/Covid and www.eGobalDoctors.com.
AAPI is also working on relaxing the restrictions on US physicians to treat patients in India, he said.
AAPI, Dr. Jonnalagadda said encourages using this route because they give global malpractice coverage and help Indian American physicians to register in India by renewing their India licenses.
AAPI is in constant touch with Indian Embassy and Indian Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan to see how best “we can help our motherland during this horrific pandemic,” he said.
AAPI has written to a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lock down the country to contain the spread of the virus, and to ramp up the vaccinations.
“AAPI has been in the forefront to help India to combat the pandemic,” said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, treasurer, thanking members and non-members for their donations.
AAPI would like to help India in a big way, said Dr. Jonnalagadda urging all community leaders to educate their members to be on alert to avoid spread of the virus.