Prince Charles of Wales appealed to the world to support India as it struggled against a “horrific” second wave of COVID-19 on Wednesday, 29 April.
Through the Royal family’s charity, British Asian Trust, the 72-year-old heir to the British throne expressed his “sorrow” over the devastating impact of the pandemic on a country he had “great love” for.
According to the PTI, the British Asian Trust is a charity founded by Prince Charles, which raised an emergency appeal titled ‘Oxygen For India’ to address the acute medical oxygen crisis the country is facing.
The appeal, supported by the British International Doctors Association (BIDA), targets to raise GBP 1,00,000.
What Did Prince Charles Say?
“For well over a year the pandemic has had a devastating impact on so many of us around the world. This week, I have been deeply saddened by the tragic images we have all seen as COVID-19 took its horrific toll in India.”Prince Charles’ statement, as quoted by PTI.
"Like many others, I have a great love for India and have enjoyed many wonderful visits to the country. Indian aid and ingenuity has been a support to other countries throughout this immensely difficult time. As India has helped others, so now must we help India. We shall win this battle together,” he said, as per the report.
The funds raised by the ‘Oxygen For India’ appeal will be used to procure oxygen concentrators for hospitals in the country as soon as possible. Oxygen concentrators recycle the oxygen from the air, versus cylinders which have a finite supply to give to the patient.
As per the appeal, shared in the report, a donation of GBP 450 will help 900 patients, and a donation of GPB 50 will help 40 patients breathe easier.
Hitan Mehta, Executive Director of British Asian Trust said as per PTI, “We have seen the terrible impact of the pandemic worldwide, but the devastation in India currently is one of the worst points of the last 12 months. The astronomical numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in India are frightening and we fear there is still a peak to come. What we can do now is provide essential support as quickly as possible to help those most in need”.
He added that the appeal was to set up vital supplies in the healthcare infrastructure, and that they “simply cannot stand by and do nothing”.
The appeal has the support of many British Indian Trust Ambassadors such as actors Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Nitin Ganatra and cricketer Isa Guha.
(With inputs from PTI)
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