An urgent appeal for help issued to Tipperary people to support HOPE to combat Covid

India recently surpassed Brazil to become the world’s second worst-hit country in the COVID-19 pandemic. A second wave of infection is currently sweeping through the country and is considerably more infectious, and deadly, than the first. It is getting worse day by day.

According to those working  at the HOPE Hospital, during the first wave children mostly remained asymptomatic, but this time they are exhibiting symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. Children as young as 5 years old are being admitted to hospital. There is also a very worrying shortage of oxygen all over the country and reports of deaths due to lack of supply.

The government hospitals in Kolkata cannot cope with the new surge of cases and there are many stories of people being turned away from hospitals as a direct result of the fragile healthcare system and the unprecedented demand for COVID beds.

HOPE’s small hospital has stepped up once again and reopened it's original 10 bed COVID ward on 12th April. It quickly converted a second ward to treat COVID patients to increase its capacity to 25 beds - all those beds were filled within a week. The hospital is now in the process of converting a third ward into a COVID ward.

These are people from the streets and slums who would otherwise have no access to healthcare, especially not in these times. Millions of people do not stand a chance. It is true that we are all in this together, it is also true that we are not all in the same boat.    

"We need your support more than ever, so that we can continue our mission to serve the most underprivileged people in our society. We urgently require supplies and equipment to treat patients in our existing wards and to open the new ward as soon as possible. Items start at as little as €5. Some of the items you can contribute are shown below. You can also make a contribution to the cost of converting the new COVID ward" said a HOPE spokesperson.