Written on: May 14, 2021 by SprayTM
The rising COVID-19 crisis in India has left a large number of people without access to life-saving medical supplies, including supplemental oxygen, which is widely used to treat the disease. In response, U.S. recreational oxygen supplier Oxygen Plus, Edina, MN, has
Oxygen Plus COO Lauren Carlstrom inspects the shipment going to India.
donated more than 40,000 self-administered oxygen canisters to Indians suffering from the pandemic in and around metropolitan areas of Delhi and Mumbai. With both grassroots and governmental support, the Oxygen Plus donation—which shipped May 5—has been expedited for delivery to people with depleted oxygen levels and shortness of breath through a collaborative on-the-ground effort.
Pivotal in this endeavor was Paras Shah, Director of Tri-Pac, Inc., South Bend, IN—a company that exclusively manufactures Oxygen Plus canisters. Because of personal ties to India, Shah felt an urgency to provide life-saving resources to the country, which, as of May 14, has seen more than 265,000 COVID-19 related deaths. Shah enlisted Lauren Carlstrom, COO of Oxygen Plus, to donate portable oxygen to India.
“I am grateful to Oxygen Plus for graciously stepping in with a donation that will literally help save lives,” said Shah. “Although we can’t completely fix the situation, we believe that a combination of smaller efforts can have a positive impact.”
As cases continue to spike, reports reveal Indians have been forced to wait in lines—
More than 40,000 Oxygen Plus O+ Biggi canisters, each containing 220+ breaths of oxygen, were donated and shipped to India in May amid the COVID-19 crisis.
sometimes overnight—to obtain oxygen for loved ones experiencing breathing complications. The ability to distribute oxygen has been a challenge. The lightweight O+ canisters—each offering 220+ breaths of oxygen—will be distributed through a free donation drive via oxygen clinics, coordinated by humanitarian aid organization the Hemkunt Foundation, with fundraising support from other Indian-owned businesses as well as support from state politicians in charge of bilateral relations between the U.S. and India.
In the U.S., Oxygen Plus, whose products are manufactured in an FDA-registered facility,
received an overwhelming number of positive testimonials from COVID-19 patients and their families, according to the company.
“Oxygen Plus is proud to have helped thousands of new U.S.-based customers ‘catch their breath’ since the pandemic [started], and is now poised to do the same in India,” the firm noted.
“This is the first time that Oxygen Plus products will be widely available in Southeast Asia since the company was founded in 2003.”
“We always knew the impact that recreational oxygen would have on those experiencing various health concerns as a result of altitude, air pollution, overexertion from exercise and more,” said Carlstrom.
“We didn’t anticipate the impact we’d have in the midst of a global pandemic. Oxygen Plus is honored to provide some form of relief to the people of India through this donation and collaboration.”
