May, 2021: India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade and industry, have recently donated one ventilator to the Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC) Hospital in Dharampur, Valsad District, Gujarat, in continuation of their CSR efforts to provide support and relief in rural India during the Covid-19 pandemic. IPGA has been working to strengthen the hands of the frontline workers by donating a ventilator to treat COVID patients especiallythe disadvantaged tribal people of South Gujarat under the Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care program. This is an initiative for and beyond COVID to serve the people in rural areas for years to come.
The SRLC hospital, a 100-bedded facility in Dharampur town of Valsad district, is the only equipped and multi-specialty hospital amidst 100 villages in the area. As the second wave of Covid-19 began spreading rapidly in southern Gujarat, SRLC immediately converted one wing into a 50-bedded Covid-19 special ward equipped with ICU and BiPAP machinery, high-flow oxygen support and an experienced team of doctors and started treating patients from the under privileged tribal communities in rural areas free of cost. IPGA responded to these efforts by donating a ventilator to their ICU for treating critical Covid-19 patients.
Mr. Jitu Bheda, Chairman – IPGA said, “IPGA is honoured to support a noble cause of providing quality and critical healthcare to the less privileged citizens of Gujarat and step up the fight against COVID-19. As the nodal body of the pulses trade, we are proud of all the CSR work done so far. We will always step up to support all the state and central government efforts in this time of crisis. This ventilator will be useful for years to come beyond COVID. We hope that our effort encourages other similar Associations to come forward and contribute.”
Speaking about IPGA’s support, Dr Bijal Mehta, Trustee, SRLC Hospital, said, “The ventilator has been installed in the Critical ICU Ward installed at our hospital last week and is working well. IPGA’s donation was very timely and has helped us to extend much needed Covid care to underprivileged patients. We are very grateful to IPGA for joining hands with us to serve the less fortunate, and I thank IPGA on behalf of the hospital and all the Covid-19 patients.”
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit India last year, IPGA has decided to dedicate certain resources to fighting the pandemic and supporting frontline workers as well as victims through it. Last year, IPGA contributed a sum of INR 21 lakhs to the PM-CARES fund, as well as provided 11,000 food grain ration bags to migrant families and families stuck in containment zones.
