Indian-American NGO raises USD 400K for COVID-19 relief efforts
Washington: An Indian-American non-governmental organisation has raised more than USD 400,000 for relief and assistance work among thousands of COVID-19 affected people in the US, including distributing thousands of face masks to health care personnel.
With this, just two Indian-American organisations –Sewa International (USD 400,000) and Indiaspora (USD 600,000) – have raised USD 1 million for their COVID-19 relief efforts.
On Saturday, Sewa International also announced the launch of a national registry for COVID-19 Blood Plasma.
So far, it is the only 24/7 service that offers a national registry for both donors and recipients under the Convalescent Plasma Therapy programme with live phone facility and social media support.
“Our mission is to bring together matching blood donors and COVID-19 patients seeking the plasma, in-time and save lives, and we are open round-the-clock to serve” said Sewa International president Sree Sreenath.
“We are using technology and human resources for troubleshooting regulatory and logistical bottlenecks. We are in a mission to help physicians and families of critically ill COVID-19 patients obtain convalescent plasma in a timely manner,” he said.
Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, the services adhere to HIPPA medical data protection laws, and protects the privacy and confidentiality of the registered users (donors and recipients), the NGO said in a statement. (PTI)
Low-key Vishu celebrations for UAE-based Malayalis
Dubai: Malayali expats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will celebrate the spring festival of Vishu this year within their homes due to restrictions imposed amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was reported on Sunday.
The festival of Vishu is usually celebrated with a lot of fanfare and typically sees a lavish ‘sadhya’ (meal) prepared. However, many Malayalis were opting for a simple meal this year due the crisis, the Khaleej Times report said.
A Sharjah-based expat, Sheeja Venu Nair, said, “There is no room for celebration this time. We want it to be a low-key affair. We are not preparing any grand meals. Instead, we as a family are focussing on offering the ‘Vishukkani’ (ritual arrangement of auspicious articles) for frontline medics and healthcare workers helping COVID-19 patients.”
Even though the festival won’t be as grand, the Sharjah-based family will uphold certain traditions. (IANS)
Imran for Easter celebrations at home
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday felicitated the Christian community on Easter and urged them to celebrate at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The premier took to Twitter and said, “Please stay safe and keep your families safe during the COVID-19 pandemic by praying and celebrating at home, and by observing the national safety protocols,” The Exprss Tribune reported.
In consideration of the ban imposed on congregational gatherings amid the growing threat of COVID-19, several places of worship in the country have decided to not hold congregational prayers to help control the spread of the disease. (IANS)