Lotus Trust – Covid-19 Appeal

Patients are dying without oxygen amid Delhi surge with 1 death every 5 minutes… (Source Global News). Join us to help ISKCON Dwarka, Delhi during this crucial time of need and make a differ-ence.

India has an unwelcomed record of Covid-19 cases with over 400,000 new cases in a 24-hour period being reported on 3rd May. Over 3,500 people lost their lives to the virus in 24 hours earlier this week. The situation in Delhi worsens as the oxygen crisis deepens and more patients die (Source BBC News).

ISKCON Dwarka in Delhi, the epicentre of the pandemic, needs urgent funds…

The Lotus Trust (the welfare arm of ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor) has partnered with ISKCON Dwarka in Delhi to expand our initial fund-raiser in 2 primary ways:

1. Convert a university premise into a COVID nursing care center with an initial capacity of 250 beds (potential to increase to 1,000 beds) and provide the COVID care facilities free of cost to all comers (patients treated on first come first serve basis).  We expect to care for roughly 2,500-5,000 patients over an initial 3-month period with a 250 bed set up.
2. Distribute free meals to the individuals and families that are not able to cook or afford food due to the current circumstances.  We target a distribution of roughly 2.7m meals over the 3 month period.

How you can help?

This much needed initiative requires investment in 3 key areas. 

Set of the of nursing care facilities including the beds, dedicated oxygen cylinders and other basic facilities 

Running of the nursing case facility including the costs of the medical staff, housekeep-ing, medications, and food 

Cooking, packaging, and distribution of 30k meals daily

Progress so far (Week 2)

We have made significant progress towards these objectives and have a plan in place to ensure that we continue to deliver and raise the funds in parallel. 

By coming together and through your generous donations we have: 

• Secured the facilities and oxygen concentrators.
• Started treating patient with 50 beds functional and expecting another 100 by 9th May and another 100 by 16th May.
• Started the daily cooking and distribution of 30k meals as of 26th April.
• Raised almost £100k of funding as of 5th May from a standing start on 26th April. 

This is a great achievement but we are we just at the beginning and work still needs to be done!

We kindly request that you help support The Lotus Trust in this mission and help India pull through this heartbreaking pandemic. It is time for us to come together as a global community to respond to the catastrophic impact of Covid-19 on people’s lives and help end this pandemic.

Your generous support will go a long way in providing life-saving treatment for the people of Delhi.