Paytm, others extend support to tackle oxygen shortage in-country
While Paytm Foundation has already placed an order for importing 1,000 Oxygen Concentrators worth ₹4 crore, it is also looking at raising an additional over ₹10 crore through donations from people
PremiumNew Delhi: Fintech major Paytm on Monday said Paytm Foundation will import over 3,000 Oxygen Concentrators (OCs) to tackle the current oxygen shortage in the country amid the deadly second wave of the pandemic.
The company has also launched a nationwide 'Oxygen for India' initiative to create more awareness about the issue.
While Paytm Foundation has already placed an order for importing 1,000 Oxygen Concentrators worth ₹4 crore, it is also looking at raising an additional over ₹10 crore through donations from people.
The foundation is working on tie-ups with sourcing partners to import over 30,000 OCs to India in due course that will be given to hospitals, clinics, and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).
"India is going through an unprecedented oxygen crisis right now and there are all kinds of oxygen support needed, large oxygen tankers, oxygen cylinders and then something that can produce oxygen locally which is oxygen concentrators.
"I also call upon other startups, businesses to join us and match rupee to rupee contribution to double the supply of oxygen concentrators," Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO of Paytm, said.
India is registering a record number of COVID-19 cases daily that has put extreme pressure on the healthcare infrastructure of the country. The number of new coronavirus infections touched 3,52,991 cases and 2,812 fatalities, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday at 8 am.
The massive rise in infections in the second wave of the pandemic has led to hospitals in several states reeling under a severe shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
Social media timelines are filled with SOS calls with people looking for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, plasma donors and ventilators.
Interestingly, TrulyMadly - a dating app - has deployed its matchmaking algorithm to help COVID patients match plasma donors with patients.
To make the process fast and more efficient, the plasma donation feature captures and matches all critical information from both the patient and donor, including their blood group, COVID-19 diagnosis date, location, contact details, and phone number, a statement said.
TrulyMadly CEO and co-founder Snehil Khanor said despite the information being available, it is largely unverified or dated in nature and only adding to the information overload.
"We decided to use the underlying technology of our matchmaking engine for couples to also help COVID-19 patients meet the right plasma donor.
"This feature has been launched on CoronaClusters.in and we appeal to people, who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and register on the platform to help save lives of those whose immune system is unable to fight the infection," he added.
On Sunday, Amazon India said it has joined hands with ACT Grants, Temasek Foundation, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR) and other partners to urgently airlift over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore.
A clutch of founders of Gurugram-based startups had also launched a crowdfunding programme for importing oxygen concentrators.
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