Bank of Baroda, in association with Dakshina Kannada District Administration and Indian Red Cross Society, initiated a vaccination drive for non-resident Indians (NRIs) in Mangaluru amid an acute shortage of vaccines in India.
The event was facilitated by Justice Muralidhar Pai, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Gayathri R, general manager and zonal head of Bank of Baroda, Mangaluru zone and Shantharam Shetty, chairman at Red Cross Society.
Over 500 NRIs had been inoculated during this event that was held at Canara High School and. The NRI community has appreciated this initiative by the Bank of Baroda.
In the event, Justice Shilpa AG, Senior Civil Judge and Secretary, Prabhakara Sharma, of Red Cross society and Yathish Bykampady.
There have been many vaccination drives launched by several organisations and companies such as Amazon India that have inoculated over one lakh people, including its frontline associates, employees and their dependents.
Amid the vaccine crisis in India, the United Kingdom would donate at least 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, and the United States would send 80 million vaccine doses to India through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme.
On the other hand, several NRI communities have been offering support to India to battle the deadly second wave of Covid-19 amid the tragic collapse of the healthcare system. Some communities are amplifying SOS calls, organising donation drives, sending supplies and funds. At the same time, few communities have been donating medical equipment such as oxygen cylinders and concentrators. Some members from the diaspora have even been trying to reinforce the health infrastructure of rural areas that are more devastated in contrast with urban areas ahead of the concerns of a possible third wave of coronavirus.
NRI doctors and a group of professionals in the United States have developed a map called MadadMaps to deliver real-time information related to Covid-19, such as available hospital beds, ICU beds with ventilators, oxygen supply etc.
