COVID-19: Alumni of Singapore universities launch crowdfunding drive for oxygen concentrators to India

As India fights a massive second wave of Covid pandemic with medical oxygen in short supply, an alumni group from Singapore's prominent universities has launched a crowdfunding initiative to source oxygen concentrators for India from overseas suppliers.

Each oxygen concentrator costs about $800 and can save more than 40 lives. The group has already achieved 78 per cent of its $150,000 goal till now.

The group behind the Singapore Universities Mission Oxygen (SUMO) drive includes former students of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Singapore Management University (SMU) as well as Anoj Viswanathan, the founder of Milaap, a crowdfunding website.

The oxygen concentrators bought through the initiative will be given to two organisations , CEL and Mission Mercy, which are working on the ground to help COVID-19 patients struggling to get access to medical oxygen.

The concentrators will be set up in the community health centres to provide care to patients locally by Community Empowerment Lab (CEL), the winners of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Award 2014.  CEL is led by NTU alumna Aarti Kumar and John Hopkins University-educated doctor Vishwajeet. 

Besides oxygen concentrators, the Mercy Mission will also be providing ambulance teams of paramedical staff and trained volunteers to help the patients while they are being transported to hospitals.

Since its establishment, Mercy Mission has been receiving an average of more than 2,000 calls on their helpline.

Being a crowdfunded mission, the group is welcoming donations from citizens wanting to in these challenging times. Donations for this initiative can be made here.