A surgeon at Airedale Hospital is working with Rotary clubs in Ilkley Wharfedale and Bangalore to support medics in India as they deal with the overwhelming numbers of coronavirus patients.
Mr Raj Rao, a consultant surgeon at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust who is originally from Bangalore, has set up a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising £250,000 to buy essential medical equipment such as pulse oximeters, oxygen concentrators and CPAP machines. Typically, a pulse oximeter costs around £50, an oxygen concentrator around £2000 and a CPAP machine around £1000.
“I have lost a number of my own close relatives to Covid and I know many others have lost their near and dear ones too due to lack of proper advice and timely access to medical care,” explains Mr Rao.