Donations of ventilators, masks and COVID-19-related supplies will be distributed from Central Florida to hospitals overwhelmed by a recent wave of infections and deaths.

AdventHealth is expanding its mission beyond U.S. borders to aid people in India who are suffering from a rising tide of COVID-19 infections and a rapidly increasing death rate among its residents during the global pandemic.

As of June 1, India has exceeded 28 million people infected with COVID-19 with more than 380,000 deaths attributed to the virus. India faces a countrywide shortage of oxygen which has cost thousands of lives.

AdventHealth leaders and physicians are working together with AdventHealth Global Missions to donate medical supplies such as ventilators, masks, and other PPE materials to help hospital systems in impacted regions of India. AdventHealth is also partnering with other nonprofit organizations to raise funds for oxygen-generating plants to be installed at hospitals in areas that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

Many AdventHealth physicians and team members have family members still living in India, which makes this a personal as well as a professional endeavor.

Dr. Sanjay Pattani, associate chief medical officer at AdventHealth Orlando, said the donation will have immediate impact and reflects the urgency needed to provide health care and support for India.

“As first-generation Indian-Americans with roots still in India, my colleagues and I empathize with the country’s shortage of basic health care needs,” said Pattani. “We are committed to contributing resources with the guidance from and alignment with AdventHealth’s leadership.  Our teams will do what we can to assist India in combating the public health care crisis within their communities.”

AdventHealth Global Missions is donating supplies and partnering with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), to provide medical oxygen plants for hospitals in India.  At some hospitals, ventilators were going unused despite the need due to a lack of oxygen.  Helping these hospitals become oxygen independent will provide short-term benefits as they deal with the influx of COVID patients, and will also be a long-term benefit as it makes their operations more sustainable.

“AdventHealth Global Missions helps extend the healing ministry of Christ wherever healing is needed, and we are focused on prayer and action to help the people of India stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Monty Jacobs, director of AdventHealth Global Missions. “By working with partners in the region, we will ensure that the people and organizations most in need of these critical supplies will receive them and put them to good use toward saving lives.”

AdventHealth is partnering with other health systems and the Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent (www.capimed.org) to raise funds in support of medical professionals and health care systems in India. For more information about India COVID-19 Relief, visit www.adventhealth.com/indiarelief.