About 3,500 units are still waiting to be shipped and FIPA has reached out to the Indian embassy, and the ministry of aviation and Air India to help transport these units immediately

WASHINGTON: An Indian-American group of physicians is shipping 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India to save the lives of the people infected with the coronavirus. The recently-created Federation of Indian Physicians Association (FIPA) said on Friday that the 5,000 oxygen concentrators have already been purchased.

Of these, 450 units have already reached Ahmedabad, 325 are on their way to Delhi and 300 others to Mumbai. "These units are to be received by local Indian partners, hospitals, makeshift isolation centers, newly created mobile hospitals and charities so that local partners in the remote parts of India can use these units to provide oxygen to covid patients as needed," said Dr Raj Bhayani, president FIPA.

About 3,500 units are still waiting to be shipped, he said, adding that FIPA has reached out to the Indian embassy, and the ministry of aviation and Air India to help transport these units immediately.

With a record of 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the death toll increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities reported in 24 hours on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Iowa-based Sehgal Foundation, the non-profit body which works in the rural areas of India, in a separate statement said that it is sending 200 oxygen concentrators to India. The foundation said it "is working tirelessly to ensure that the help is reached out to the people grappling with the COVID-19 surge in India".

Indian-Americans in Greater Boston, a community organisation, is organising a 5k Virtual Walk/Run over the weekend to raise funds for its COVID-19 assistance to India. Kerala Association of Connecticut has started a fundraiser campaign to help combat the COVID-19 surge situation in India.

The money donated will be directed towards Providing Oxygenators to Hospitals via Give India platform and their community partners, the association said. Headed by Krishna Srinivasan, the association is targeting to raise USD 5,000.

Indian-American Vandana Karna on Saturday launched another fundraising campaign to save lives in rural Bihar. In just a few hours, Bihar Aid raised more than USD 8,000 of the initial target of USD 10,000. "This is our first call to help with shipment of the following to Darbhanga where several areas have been sealed due to high infection rate," Karna said.

Bihar Aid plans to send Oxygen flow meters, Oxygen cylinders (D type), Oxygen concentrators, Pulse oximeter and sensor-based sanitising machines and PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen generation plants, she said.