Over the last 12 months, the batch has been able to use their resources to help people amid the pandemic. PGP 2011 has been able to provide financial aid, covid care support, crucial medical equipment, oximeters, and medicines for Covid patients. The batch has also set up a fully staffed and WhatsApp enabled COVID helpline in metro cities. Doing their bit, PGP 2011 is definitely making a big impact in country’s fight towards the novel coronavirus.
Here, they share a brief about the initiatives taken through IIMAction.
CURRENT INITIATIVES
Khaanachahiye PGP 2011 batch raised INR 10 lakhs+ to distribute food for daily wage workers, migrants, and the homeless in Mumbai through Khaanachahiye, a Mumbai based NGO (www.khaanachahiye.com). Our batchmates led the initiative on-ground on behalf of the batch.
Bangalore Covid Care Facility We set up a 25 bed COVID care center in Bangalore, collaborating with Health Bangalore Breathe (NGO partner) and with support from the IIMA Bangalore Alumni Chapter. We had also raised Rs 15L for this center, primarily for OC procurement.
COVID Helpline We set up a fully staffed, WhatsApp enabled COVID helpline. The helpline provides COVID patients timely access to resources like Oxygen cylinders/concentrators, medicines, ICU/hospital beds, COVID medicines, black fungus medication, and other required assistance. We have already resolved ~180 COVID patients within the IIMA community, and their acquaintances. We are currently active in metros and will soon expand to smaller cities.
Medical Professional Staffing We have staffed ~25 nurses in 2 district hospitals in Karnataka. We are also working with PARFI (PanIIT Alumni NGO) to staff final-year nursing students as interns in Jharkhand.
Mobile Covid Care Buses We have partnered with the Punjab Govt. and with Treebo Hotels for setting up mobile covid care buses in rural areas. These buses will be equipped with OCs and basic medical supplies. Based on the traction for the first few deployments, we shall expand this model to other States.
Supporting SRISTI (Prof. Anil Gupta’s NGO) in distributing covid kits to interior Shodhyatra-villages. Each kit will include an oximeter, thermometer, PPE kit, and medicines.
Few other initiatives where we are collaborating with other NGOs, Govt. institutions, and citizen initiatives are in the pipeline.
FUTURE INITIATIVES We want to utilize our connections and experience to expand our operations further to benefit the IIMA community, while also reaching out to those in need of support in rural areas.
In this regard, we would like to support PanIIMA’s Break the Chain Vaccination Drive with ‘One shot. One donate.’ theme. Under this theme, we can facilitate vaccinations for IIM alumni all over the country and request the alumni availing the service, to donate one vaccine shot for those in rural areas.
We can help in collating the efforts of all batches to create a larger pool of resources for procurement, transport, communication, and overall execution of this project.
We would also like to collaborate with the institute on any other projects designed by the Institute and seek help from our alma mater in the above initiatives.
