Delivered Food Packets During 2020-2021 COVID Lockdown
The entire world, including Bangladesh, is engulfed with the effect of Coronavirus pandemic. In Bangladesh, more than 2000 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Out of those 2238 lives, 60 of them are health professionals. As the world is racing towards finding a cure against this devastating pandemic, a developing country like Bangladesh is trying to do as much as they can with their limited resources. All of us know that there are only a few supportive and some empirical drugs that are used to treat CORONA patients. Often those drugs are not efficient enough and not to mention about many doubts and controversies about their proper usage. However, there is no controversy at all to use oxygen to the patients who have lung complications.
We have been working with the Corono Unit of Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) where around 70 COVID-19 patients are admitted everyday (as of week of July, 9th). Infection rate against tested patients is at a staggering 41%+ (source: Prothom Alo July 4th). We are closely connected with the health workers and administrators of this hospital. It’s a great relief to know that FMCH has central oxygen supply to use in the COVID-19 ward. Unfortunately they don’t have enough devices to deliver concentrated oxygen to the patients. Over the last 1 month, we have provided 35 venturi masks and another 35 non-rebreather masks to assist the patients for their better oxygenation.
Clearly this is not enough. We want to continue providing this support to some of the other local hospitals (for e.g. Faridpur Diabetic Medical hospital, Jahed Memorial Children’s hospital). Moreover, critical patients need more effective devices to provide adequate oxygen. We want to expand our support by funding some of the other known devices. While this document’s purpose is not to discuss pros and cons with ventilators vs high flow cannula, our field level doctors have shown more interests and successes towards High Flow Nasal Cannula. Among many reasons within Faridpur, the success rate of bringing back a ventilated patient is very slim as opposed to HFNC. There is a severe scarcity of such devices (actually it’s 0 now). The doctors and health workers from the COVID-19 unit of Faridpur Medical College Hospital have urged for 3 HFNC. Already 20 lives have been lost. Doctors’ firm belief is that they would have fought really hard with access to HFNC. Medical professionals are also urging for protective gears and masks for them to work in the corona units.
We are raising funds for 3 HFNC (each one costs about between $3-$7k depending upon quality) for the Corona unit of FMCH and protective gears for the health workers.
Now it is our turn to stand beside patients and health workers in a remote hospital of Bangladesh. We will continue to accept donations until COVID-19 situation improves. Time is running out. Our goal is to raise some funds by the end of July and start procuring the relevant device, gears as soon as we can.
We humbly request that you make your donations before April 20. However, we will continue to accept donations throughout the year for food packages.
Please Contact
Email: roushown.alam@gmail.com
Email: sayeem@gmail.com
Email: ai.ahmed@gmail.com
Email: archowdh@gmail.com
Sporsha is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are Zakat eligible and tax deductible. Donors will receive a tax receipt. If your company supports donation matching, please send information for that by email (donation@sporsha.org).