COVID Crisis - Global Mission
The Australian Health Practitioner's Advisory Solutions (AHPAS) commenced its Global Missions work in response to the COVID crisis, so that we could provide measurable and sustainable support to our healthcare partners in areas of need.
Malaysian Crisis:
Project 1: Alpro Foundation - Growing Stars Project
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”-Nelson Mandela.
Hakim an 11 year old boy has not been to school since October 2020. He wants to learn but he can't. He may become one of the 'lost generation' due to this inability this past year to attend school, because he cannot afford internet data plan and the digital device he needs to attend school online. Read more here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-lost-generation-of-students-torn-between-staying-safe-and-getting-an
Malaysia is buckling at the increasing COVID crisis and it is now at breaking point. With numbers as high as over 13,000 (15th July 2021), social distancing is a luxury in most cases. Suicides are increasing with heartbreaking statistics that more than half of the victims are aged 15-18years old!
Alpro Foundation and it's Growing Stars Project is focused on supporting children from low income families to assist them with their education needs during this COVID period and beyond for returning to school readiness. The project has already funded for 134 students in collaboration with local schools, supplying families with internet data plans, tablets or laptops to participate in online classes. There is a goal to reach a target of supporting 1000 students and more! With currently 35 students on a waitlist, there is an immediate need to supply to this waitlist. On average, 4-5 calls come in from teachers, school principals, to join the wait list.
AU$550 will enable 1 child to have all the essentials they need to get back online and be school ready for 2022.
Watch the CEO of Alpro Foundations explain about the Growing Stars Project here: https://vimeo.com/575633916/cb529ec9bd
Relevant sites: https://www.alpro-foundation.com
Initial Target: $25,000
India Crisis:
Project 1: Funds for medical equipment and medical supplies for volunteer rural generalists treating many 1000s of Covid patients.
We will be sending covid specific medications, oxygen concentrators, CPAP/BIPAP, HFNP, and others near Kolkata.
Lead contact: Dr. Subham Chanda - a young MBBS graduate with specialist training in Anaesthetics. Both he and his wife are devoting 24/7 of their time to create a phone Telehealth consultation helpline for people in this district. They are predominantly struggling with a total
lack of ICU set up and ventilatory availability for the entire town.
Main focus:
To acquire Oxygen Concentrators, Ventilators and supplies LOCALLY as it is near impossible for these rural communities to safely and in a timely manner receive courier aid from abroad, due to political and logistical constraints.
Aim to have 35 ventilation support equipped beds in the town so that people in need of this facility can be triaged and admitted.
We are also liaising with local pharmaceutical companies that still have stock of medications to procure for local distribution.
These doctors who are working in Dr Chanda's team are quite junior with minimal training (many have come straight from medical school). Therefore we are also establishing a Peer support Healthline for medical staff on the ground to contact for both clinical and psychological support. If you would like to be part of this Peer Support Community, please join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/180832677118362
They will have a list of various specialists with their availabilities, with whom they can call and consult to support their clinical
decision making when required. If you are a healthcare professional and would like to help, please send us a message here:
https://ahpas.com.au/inquiries/
Approximate cost of project: $70,000
Project 2: Community based women and children's shelter support and rural projects focusing on building essential ICU set ups in areas where there are no ventilatory support system.
Josh Komanapalli, helps run a hospital in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, where the most vulnerable can gain access to quality
medical care. He and his team's vision is to set up an ICU in the memorial hospital to admit and treat patients with COVID 19+ who are not able to afford healthcare or obtain access to oxygen for basic survival.
Operations:
K.S.Joseph Memorial Hospital will run the ICU and acquire the required permit to establish an operating ICU.
We will require 4 beds with oxygen meters, 1 ventilator, an oxygen line, cylinders and room refurbishment for flooring so that wheeled
beds can be pushed (currently the floor is not suitable in the empty building).
The doctors from K.S. Joseph Memorial will be working under the guidance of Dr. Rakesh who will be responsible for getting required
hospital permits for the ICU. Given the humanitarian crisis, permits would be easily procured as the need is extreme.
The situation
Presently there are 350,000+ cases of Covid 19+ and over 3500 deaths daily, still yet to reach the peak surge period. These figures are
said to be vastly under reported by reporters and scientists on the ground, estimating an actual incidence and death rate of at least
10 times officially published data. Evidence of this can be witnessed by not only shortages of hospital beds, but also lack of crematorium
spaces and the burning of multiple bodies in mass graves and excessive makeshift funeral pyres. Such is the scale of this second wave,
Indians and the large Indian diaspora overseas will all know someone who either has passed away or been affected by Covid.
Total cost for beds, set up, ventilators, etc. approx $60,000 AUD
Project 3: Urgent supply acquisition of essential medications needed for specialist respiratory physicians in Kolkata running voluntary clinics for the poor.
Dr. Tanvir Reza a well established and respected Respiratory Specialist has a request:
"I ask myself, going forward -- what do we desperately need to prevent a third wave?
MASKS N95- to be distributed in lakhs to people in Kolkata and if possible in West Bengal.
I know it will not sort out the present problems but am looking at the future. No guarantee that a third wave will not hit us harder"
Goal: Fund a mask development clinic utilising people from the local community who can help design and implement production and
distribution of masks. We are looking into creating masks with in-built filters locally and although not the gold standard (n95) we are
committed to supporting projects within the country for fast and reliable outcomes.
Approximate cost: $20,000-ongoing project
Project 4: Urgent Ventilation/Bipap/CPAP and High Flow Oxygen equipment for Dr. B Mohan-who is risking everything
He is an Intensivist, returned to his home town in Bihar, turned a wedding banquet hall into an ICU for 1000s of patients needing
ventilatory support.
Budget: $30,000
Accountability and ongoing mission
As we provide and succeed in each project, we will continue to update this page and fund other smaller projects with achievable goals.
All our projects are aimed at supporting the forgotten frontline workers and the communities they serve in rural India.
Many larger NGOs and fundraising initiatives may not reach these areas, and therefore, it is our focus to help our healthcare worker
colleagues in these unprecedented times.
Background information on organiser of this fundraiser AHPAS
This initiative and operational aspect is run by the Australian Health Practitioners Advisory Solutions. Gerrie De Wet is the executive
director of AHPAS, and a registered accountant in Australia. He will be supervising and holding the funds in our AHPAS donations
account. AHPAS books are open access allowing any member of the public to view the accounting books for a more detailed review of
funds coming in and how they are being distributed.
AHPAS is now only steps away from establishing its charity wing. The main focus of this professional body is to provide education, peer
support and mentoring for all healthcare professionals in Australia. This fundraiser project is the first of many activities AHPAS will
support.
Dr. Anchita Karmakar
CEO AHPAS P/L