First Indian victim of coronavirus needs Rs 1 cr fund for treatment
Unable to fund Rs 1 crore needed for the treatment of the first known Indian national afflicted with the coronavirus in China, her family has reached out to India for financial help, according to a report in English daily Livemint. A 45-year-old, primary art school teacher at the International School of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Preeti Maheshwari is suffering from coronavirus pneumonia, type 1 respiratory failure, multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS) and septic shock. Preeti is reportedly undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at Shekou Hospital in Shenzhen, China, and is on external respiratory support, ventilators, dialysis and blood purification process.
Preeti's brother Manish Thapa, who is an employee at Amazon, Bengaluru has reached out to the Indian embassy in Beijing for financial help. He has also got in touch with a healthcare crowdfunding platform in India to arrange for her hospital expenses.
According to the Livemint report, “The cost of the treatment, since the day Preeti was admitted - 11th January 2020 - is increasing day by day. Currently, the treatment is costing 10 lakh Chinese Yuan which is Rs. 1 crore in Indian currency. Aware of the mounting treatment expenses, I have taken to healthcare crowdfunding platform ImpactGuru.com. Preeti is critically ill and treatment expenses were beyond family’s capacity," Manish said.
Crowdfunding website ImpactGuru raised Rs. 27.80 lakhs from 898 donors in four days.
“There are early signs of improvement in Preeti’s health. Preeti’s heart rate is returning to normal and MRI has come normal. She still continues to be on critical life support and it’s a long road to recovery," Thapa said.
According to Livemint, "The family is also considering shifting her to India for further treatment if needed".
“She needs to recover before we plan anything worth regarding shifting her to India. We have also communicated to the Indian government and are hoping that we may receive help," Thapa said.
The embassy on Thursday started two hotlines +8618612083629 and +8618612083617 for Indians who want to get in touch with their relatives in China.
“Embassy of India has been receiving queries from Indians in Hubei province as well as their relatives in India in connection with the evolving situation of the coronavirus infection in China. In this regard Embassy of India is in touch with relevant Chinese authorities in Beijing and Wuhan as well as Indians in Hubei Province, especially in Wuhan," the embassy said in a statement.
“We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in China, including advisories issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in this connection. The relevant Chinese authorities have assured all assistance to residents of Wuhan, including food supply. At present, it is reported that supermarkets (particularly those that are government-run) and e-commerce services, including food delivery continue to remain operational in Wuhan," it said.
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