Project HOPE Offers Support to India’s COVID-19 Second Wave

Bethesda, MD, USA (28 April 2021) — As India fights a devastating second wave of COVID-19 that is killing thousands of people each day, Project HOPE is taking part in international efforts to help tackle the deadly health crisis by providing aid and much-needed medical supplies. The health care system has been overwhelmed and unable to respond adequately to medical needs.

“A race against time to save lives is underway in India. The brutality of this second COVID-19 wave is horrifying,” says Chris Skopec, Executive Vice President at Project HOPE. “International solidarity to help India cope with the soaring number of cases and deaths is critical. We are working with local partners on the ground to provide hospitals with lifesaving medical equipment and supplies.”

With more than 330,000 new cases reported daily, India has reported shortages of PPE, oxygen supplies, ICU equipment, and ventilators. The situation is particularly dire in the country’s capital, New Delhi, where several hospitals have appealed for oxygen supplies and the lack of it has already resulted in many deaths. The surge is expected to peak in May – with daily new cases reaching 500,000. Barely 1.6% of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated.

With its local partner, MY-HEART, Project HOPE is coordinating response efforts with health authorities by supplying hospitals with oxygen supplies, ICU beds, PPE kits, and other critical medical supplies.

“Whenever we back off from COVID-19, it comes back and it’s doing so with a tragic vengeance in India,” says Dr. Tom Kenyon, Chief Health Officer at Project HOPE. “India was a success story at the start of the pandemic, and unfortunately the country let its guard down and loosened restrictions too quickly. That’s a lesson for all countries to learn.”

Project HOPE will continue monitoring the medical needs and respond accordingly through local partners.

About Project HOPE:
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that is committed to placing power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has been implementing health-related projects in India for the past decade, with its most recent project in Odisha stat, focusing on community health and hand hygiene. Read more here.