OxygenForIndia

OxygenForIndia^[1] (OFI) is a volunteer-run campaign to deliver medical oxygen in response to the second wave of COVID-19 in India. The OxygenForIndia initiative was launched in the wake of the unprecedented oxygen crisis in April 2021, to ensure that no one in India dies due to a lack of medical oxygen. As of June 2021, OFI had deployed over 20,000 reusable oxygen cylinders and 3,000 oxygen concentrators in 57 urban and rural centers across India. The campaign’s long-term goal is to work with partners to develop a stable and reliable oxygen supply system in India.

History and Founding

At the peak of the second COVID-19 wave in April and May of 2021, several hospitals across India reported an acute lack of medical oxygen that left thousands gasping for breath. In response, Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder and Director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP)^[2] and the One Health Trust (OHT), put out a call to his network. OxygenForIndia was founded on April 25th, 2021, with a vision to ensure that no one in India dies due to a lack of medical oxygen.

Key Models and Initiatives

OxygenForIndia operates using three key models with the objectives of urgently reaching as many patients as possible and planning long-term solutions to avoid future crises.

Patient model

To solve the problem of last-mile delivery, OFI uses a triaging system involving local hospitals operating in low-income urban communities. Eligible patients are prioritized by a team of doctors from partner hospitals based on critical clinical and economic parameters. These patients can pick up oxygen cylinders and concentrators at zero cost but against a nominal fully refundable deposit to ensure that they are returned to optimize oxygen resource use. The target beneficiaries of this model are patients treatable at home with supplemental oxygen and patients at hospitals that lack reliable oxygen resources. This model has been implemented in eight cities- Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ranchi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh.

Rural Model

As the oxygen demand moved from urban to rural areas, the OxygenForIndia campaign adopted a new approach to reach those in need in peri-urban and rural areas. OFI has been partnering with local NGOs and hospitals with rural outreach. Through its various partners, OFI continues to provide oxygen equipment on a fully returnable basis to support Equipment Operator Partners (EOPs), primarily meeting oxygen equipment needs in rural, small towns, and peri-urban areas of India.

This model is currently running in Pilani (Rajasthan), Melmaruvathur (Tamil Nadu), and 57 other rural sites. OFI has also partnered with the Rotary Foundation under this model.

National Oxygen Grid

To leverage the oxygen assets that entered the country through government, philanthropy, and the private sector during the second Covid wave in 2021, OFI is currently working on the design and development of the National Oxygen Grid. The grid initiative is a part of OFI’s long-term vision of establishing a stable and reliable oxygen supply system for India.

The National Oxygen Grid will leverage a combination of existing liquid medical oxygen assets, including storage and transportation tanks, and incoming assets of pneumatic swing adsorption (PSA) plants, oxygen concentrators, and cylinders. The initiative is co-led by OFI’s founder, Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, and Dr. Indu Bhushan, the former CEO of Ayushman Bharat and the National Health Mission.

Media Coverage

• NewsAU - India surpasses 18 million COVID-19 cases as crises worsens
• Forbes - India’s Oxygen Paradox: It’s Available, But Not Accessible
• Boston News - The COVID-19 crisis in India is getting worse. Here’s how you can help
• ETNOW -  When will deadly second wave peak? | India Development Debate
• ABC News - A 'complete collapse' of preventive health: How India's 2nd COVID wave exploded
• Kron 4 - COVID relief: Bay Area residents launch fundraisers to get supplies into India
• NY Times - Amid Second Covid Wave, World Responds to India’s Distress Call
• CBS - CBS reports on how Dr. Laxminarayan, Founder of CDDEP & OxygenForIndia is helping India breathe.
• Channel News Asia - India’s Oxygen Crisis And Why COVID-19 Variants Are Troubling

• CNN - Thousands queue for hours for oxygen
• BBC - Dr. Laxminarayan, Founder #CDDEP​ and #OxygenforIndia on BBC World News discussing OxygenForIndia
• EuroNews - Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan (Founder CDDEP and OxygenForIndia) in an interview with EuroNews.
• Global Atlanta - Atlanta Global Health Summit: Why India’s Oxygen Shortage Is a Cautionary Tale for the World
• New Yorker - India’s Crisis Marks a New Phase in the Pandemic
• PBS NPR - Indian Diaspora In Connecticut Steps Up To Help Fight COVID In India
• India COVID SOS - Donate to these organizations to support India's fight against COVID-19
• New York Times - How to Help India Amid the Covid Crisis
• PBS NewsHour - How to help India during its COVID surge — 12 places you can donate
• The Hindu - Time for a powerful display of humanity

Partner Organization

1. Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy - CDDEP^[2] is a nonprofit that produces independent, multidisciplinary research to advance the health and wellbeing of human populations around the world.
2. USAID - USAID^[3] is a premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID leads humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people progress beyond assistance.
3. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation^[4] works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.
4. Swasth Alliance - Swasth Alliance^[5] is a nonprofit collaborative of leading Indian healthcare organizations that came together during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to build public digital goods in health.
5. Indiaspora - Indiaspora^[6] is a nonprofit organization and a network of global Indian-origin leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for good by providing a platform to collaborate, build community engagement and catalyze social change.
6. Public Health Technologies Trust ( PHTT) - PHTT^[7] is a nonprofit organization specializing in research, design, planning, training, implementation, and monitoring of large-scale CSR projects, specifically in healthcare - screening and treatment, using state-of-the-art medical technologies. PHTT acts as a bridge between corporate houses and technology firms and conceptualizes the delivery of CSR projects using technology products so both entities can reach their objectives.
7. HealthCube - HealthCube^[8] is a point-of-care technology-enabled diagnostics services provider with a vision of transforming healthcare delivery and making diagnosis simple and hassle-free. HealthCube’s multiparametric technology can test for over 30 parameters, including blood glucose, hemoglobin, blood pressure, infectious diseases markers, and it can even perform ECGs. The easy-to-use and portable devices are medical-grade, clinically validated, and digitally enabled, with results available instantly.

References