Oxygen for India: Canadian welfare groups collect 440,000 dollars to send oxygen concentrators for India

Toronto, May 17: The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, along with 82 other community organisations, has collected 440,220 Canadian dollars (Rs 2.66 crore) to send oxygen concentrators to India, which is in the grip of a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The charity drive by the ICCC will be held for three hours on Sunday for the next four weeks. The ICCC said the oxygen supplies would be sent to tier II and tier III cities in India.

According to a statement from the ICCC on Monday, a total of 440,220 Canadian dollars were collected in the first session.

"We believe that alone not much can be achieved, but 'TOGETHER', we can do so much more, hence we are bringing together more than 82 other Indo-Canadian as well as community organisations to aid us in this humanitarian effort," the statement added.

India''s coronavirus crisis continued on Monday as the country recorded 2,81,386 fresh cases in the last 24 hours along with 4,106 new deaths, according to Union Health Ministry data.

Now, the death toll stands at 2,74,390, and the total number of cases at 2,49,65,463.

"Our efforts are aimed at providing an opportunity to the 1.6 million-strong Indo-Canadian community (here) and the 36 million Canadians to participate in helping us send Oxygen to India," the ICCC said.

Last month, the Canadian government sanctioned 10 million Canadian dollars through the Canadian Red Cross to the Indian Red Cross to aid COVID-19-related emergency works.