San Diego-based International Relief Teams (IRT) in collaboration with nonprofit partners MAP International and AirLink, delivered its first air shipment of desperately needed Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) to India, to protect health workers overwhelmed by record numbers of COVID-19 cases in this stricken country.
This initial shipment, consisting of 60,000 protective barrier gowns, will be distributed to medical facilities in hard-hit Mumbai, including St. George’s Hospital. Future shipments will also include gloves, masks, and isolation suits.
India is struggling to deal with an unprecedented COVID-19 surge. Currently, there are over 24 million confirmed cases in India and 261,969 deaths. Worse still, experts believe this accounts for just 3% of the cases. WHO reports that India currently accounts for 40% of global cases.
“Health workers in India are on the front lines of this pandemic. They urgently need PPE to protect themselves as they provide critical medical assistance to their COVID-19 patients,” said Barry La Forgia, International Relief Teams’ Executive Director.
International Relief Teams alleviates the suffering caused by poverty and disaster around the globe, from the forgotten corners of the world to right here at home, by sending volunteer teams and medical supplies to make immediate change for the world’s most vulnerable people.
