ACT Grants, EkDesh contribute to J&K’s fight against COVID

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: In an effort to protect frontline workers and drive to improve compliance around wearing masks, ACT Grants (Action Against COVID-19 Team) along with EkDesh, a non-profit organization on Wednesday handed over 100,000 N95 Masks for healthcare workers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The mask distribution drive was flagged off by Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education in presence of Dr Yashpal Sharma, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir, Medical Supplies, Ashim Khuda, Volunteer and Local Coordinator and Poonam Kaul, representing ACT Grants and Founder EkDesh.
Certificate of appreciation was given to ACT Grants for their efforts to help the Health Department battle COVID in Jammu and Kashmir.
ACT Grants is Rs 100 crore grant created by India’s VC and start-up community to provide stimulus to ideas that could combat COVID-19 with immediate impact. ACT stands for ‘Action Covid-19 Team’ and supports teams and start-ups in the areas of prevention of COVID-19 spread, scaling testing, disease management at home, enhanced support for healthcare workers and hospitals, management of critically-ill patients and support for mental health. Over the last two months, ACT Grants has supported and provided solutions for Home Isolation, Oxygen Therapy and RNA extraction in the UT to enable people to combat Covid-19 across the country.
In a close association with the Health Department, 5000 RT-PCR Kits, 10,000 RNA Extraction Kits and 15 High Flow Oxygen Cannula (HFNC) devices have been distributed in the Union Territory to help the affected.
Home-isolation has been deployed to help the asymptomatic patients while oxygen therapy is being used for patients with mild or moderate symptoms through HFNC devices.
Speaking at the flag off, Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education said, “We have been making significant progress in controlling the spread of the virus in the Union Territory. The outbreak of Covid-19 has created an unprecedented need for medical equipments to combat the virus. We appreciate the efforts of ACT Grants for stepping up in the time of need and helping tide through these critical and stressful times.”
Poonam Kaul, ACT Representative and Founder, EkDesh said, “Across the country, we are observing that people are letting their guards down which is continuing to increase the spread of Covid-19. While at one level, we have been deploying solutions across the length and breadth of the country to manage COVID, it is very important to focus on prevention and drive COVID-safe behaviour by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing. We are happy to associate with the Health authorities in Jammu and Kashmir and commit to contribute to the fight against Covid-19 in the state.”