Kolkata NGO gifts 60 ventilators to West Bengal health department – Times of India

KOLKATA: A city-based NGO Bangla Worldwide headed by former chief justice of Bombay high court Justice (Retd) Chittatosh Mookerjee, had flown in 160 portable ventilators from the USA with the help of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).
The NGO this week handed over 60 ventilators to the health department to aid in the Covid 19 treatment.
On Monday, Dr Sukumar Mukherjee who is also part of the NGO personally handed over one ventilator to the health secretary NS Nigam at Swasthya Bhavan where DME Dr Debashis Bhattacharya was also present.
The NGO is gifting the state government with 60 ventilators and another 60 is meant for the charity hospitals, while another 40 will be for private hospitals but they cannot charge any money from the patients for these ventilators, said Justice Mookerjee.
He said that a committee had been formed with Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, Dr Ashokananda Konar, Dr Shibaji Basu, and Syed Nasiruddin, secretary of Red Cross for transparent distribution of the ventilators.
Justice Mookerjee said that they want to hand over all ventilators early and for which they are accepting applications from various NGOs as well and checking their credentials before handing over the ventilators.
Dr Sukumar Mukherjee said that they are expecting more such portable ventilators as Dr Amit Chakraborty, secretary of AAPI has assured them.
“We are worried about the third wave and children might be affected and children can be treated with these ventilators. These portable ventilators can be used in the districts and these can be used even in the ambulances,” Dr Mukherjee said.
He added that the ventilators can be easily transported to any ward when a patient turns critical and help in resuscitation.