THE small paediatric hospital in the Indian town where Dr Raj Kumar grew up is overwhelmed with cases of COVID-19.
People are afraid to get tested, he said. They are also afraid to have people tested when they die, in case they can't bury them.
"Everyone who has a friend or family members in India has been affected," Dr Kumar said. "All are affected in some way or another."
Now the director of Paediatric Surgery at the John Hunter Children's hospital, Dr Kumar is leading the charge to raise funds to help send medical-grade oxygen to the most needy parts of India.
"When the epidemic started to emerge all over India everybody was overwhelmed and we all felt helpless," Dr Kumar said.
"We have 25 million cases and a quarter of a million people are dead. Lots of children are affected. Lots of kids have been left orphaned because lots of parents have died. The one per cent of GDP that is spent on health care means that health resources are very limited, the population is huge, and the rural areas have a very poor network and poor health delivery. This disease is going to cause huge financial issues ... so this is multifactorial. There is no financial aid coming."
Dr Kumar said he is in contact every day with doctors working in India, as well as his Australian-based networks of paediatric surgeons and paediatricians.
So far the EKAM Foundation, based in India and run by paediatricians and which aims to provide quality healthcare to needy children and mothers in India, has raised $15,000 towards COVID-related healthcare, he said.
"We have had the support of Technotia Laboratories and the University of Newcastle. We have designed ventilators for use and they are going to help us release that technology. Lots of people are reluctant to take action but this is a once in a lifetime, we all need to join together."
There will be a fundraiser held at the University of Newcastle's Great Hall on Friday, June 4. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.
