British doctors of Indian origin are stepping in big time to help their overburdened Indian counterparts online to counter the second wave of Covid-19 that has smashed into India.
The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) announced earlier this week that a joint ‘Virtual Hub’ has already been set up that will analyse pathology tests and radiological images flowing in from India such as X-Rays and CT scans to enable practitioners to take timely and accurate decisions. "We are seeing for example CT scans being done in India, and the current reporting time for these can be three to four days," CNN News18 quoted Dr Parag Singhal, BAPIO national secretary as saying. "So already we have scans coming here, our specialists here are doing the reporting, and so these can then be reported back more quickly."
BAPIO telemedicine wing in action. Dozens of volunteer medics are helping the patients & doctors in India #IndiaCovidCrisis #India @abhayc @RameshMehta15 @ParagSinghal09 @jsbamrah @HCI_London @NHSEngland @Sajay70 @BapioA @BapioYDF @BAPIOWM @BAPIONW @PSForumBAPIO @JoydeepGrover pic.twitter.com/AFwp8zddJK
— BAPIO (@BAPIOUK) April 30, 2021
The initiative has already roped in more than 200 radiologists, and the number of participating doctors could rise above 1000 within a few days.
The association has also teamed up with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) and the High Commission of India to source and supply India with Oxygen, Oxygen concentrators, ventilators and medicines, as required.
Besides BAPIO has joined with APNA NHS, DAUK and a charity, Akshaya Patra UK, to establish an ambitious £500,000 fund to purchase equipment and to feed the needy in India. I
In addition, the association has written to British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to urge him to provide full support at this time of crisis. “This is a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions. BAPIO will work with multiple agencies in the UK and India to meet our ambitious objectives,” the statement said.
