When the COVID-19 pandemic raged across India this spring, as the now-familiar Delta variant was first emerging, Ruchika Talwar, MD, a resident in Urology, was following the news from afar. After hearing from family members connected to Indian hospitals about supply donations from foreign organizations not reaching hospitals, Talwar was compelled to act.
Talwar asked around to fellow doctors, staff, and family for monetary donations to increase the much-needed supply of oxygen concentrators. She took to social media as well, sharing her family's personal experiences with the devastating effects of COVID-19 in New Delhi on Twitter and Instagram. After that, donations poured in.
To ensure that the purchased supplies would not be stopped at customs, Talwar and her team worked closely with Indian doctors. They wrote letters of need for supplies and worked with an Indian ambassador in the U.S. and the Indian embassy to certify their donations and expedite them through customs.
Penn Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania joined the effort, adding dollar-for-dollar matches up to $50,000 for donations made by faculty, staff, and students and helping Talwar to exceed her donation goal.
The donated funds were used to purchase oxygen concentrators and PPE supplies for the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. After the supplies were shipped and delivered to the hospital, Talwar said, “It felt so good to make a difference, knowing our equipment was being used by patients in these hospitals.” After the immediate COVID surge had passed, the remaining funds were given to organizations who are building oxygen plants in India as a more sustainable solution as COVID becomes part of our daily lives.