More than £150,000 has been raised to help build a new Covid health centre in India.

The country is in the midst of a coronavirus crisis with hundreds of thousands of new infections every day and reports of shortages in oxygen supply.

The Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur charitable organisation, based in Gujarat, is responding to the crisis, including help from its London Centre, based in Bushey.

The health centre opened in Gujarat on April 25, taking just ten days to create, and has been serving hundreds of rural districts, and been equipped with 50 beds, ventilators, high-flow oxygen support and an experienced team of doctors.

Inside the new Covid health centre in India

Inside the new Covid health centre in India

Within three days of launch, the centre was running at full capacity and has provided immediate relief to hundreds of patients, free of charge.

It costs £4,000 per day to run the 50-bed centre, with further costs for specialist equipment and care of patients.

In view of the surge in cases, a 'Covid-19 suspect ward’ has also been set up where patients with symptoms will be examined and tested extensively. Scaling up its operations, Phase 2 of the project involves adding more beds making it a 100-bed facility.

Outside the new Covid health centre in Gujarat, India

Outside the new Covid health centre in Gujarat, India

Covid patients are receiving critical care at the new health centre

Covid patients are receiving critical care at the new health centre

An urgent fundraising appeal spearheaded by the organisation’s youth members in the UK to help fund patient treatment costs and daily operational expenses of the new centre. Within just 48 hours the passionate volunteers were able to secure over £150,000 in donations.

With demand growing as cases are increasing in these villages every day, the need for this facility has never been more urgent.

The team have subsequently increased the fundraising target to £250,000 in order to further cover the expansion and running costs of operating this critical Covid health centre for the longer term.

Donations can be made via a Virgin Money Giving fundraising page here.