American automaker Ford Motor Company will be donating five million surgical masks, 100,000 N95 masks and 50,000 gowns to India via its philanthropy arm - Ford Fund. The company is making a contribution in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has grappled the nation once again. The second wave of the virus has hit the country hard bringing our stretched healthcare system to its weakest point yet. In addition, Ford Fund will be donating $200,000 to support organisations providing essential COVID-19 relief in India and Brazil.
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undefinedTo help mitigate the surge of coronavirus cases in India, @Ford is donating 5 million surgical masks, 100K N95 masks and 50K gowns to the area. In addition, Ford Fund is donating $200,000 to support organizations providing essential COVID-19 relief in India and Brazil. pic.twitter.com/aKLVyL5r9U
— Ford Motor Company Fund (@FordFund) April 29, 2021
The contribution will be shared equally between the two countries to help families by delivering food, cleaning supplies and other essential items, Ford Fund said. The move is a big welcome and the healthcare workers and the system at large that needs all the support they can get. The second wave of the pandemic has forced automakers to once again shut down plants in the wake of the lockdown in India. Moreover, industries have been asked to divert resources for the production of oxygen for the infected patients.
A Ford worker at the Van Dyke transmission plant producing face masks in 2020
During the first wave in 2020, Ford India and other automakers actively used their plants to produce face shields, face masks, sanitisers and PPE kits to be distributed among the frontline workers. The mandate was followed globally as plants in other countries including India started producing respirators, masks, testing collection kits and gowns.
As of April 29, 2021, India had over three lakh active COVID cases in the country with the highest number of cases in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Brazil currently has over 69,000 active cases with the maximum number of cases in Sao Paulo. India is in the middle of the vaccination drive that is taking place for the elderly at present. The vaccine will roll out for all individuals over the age of 18 years from May 1, 2021, onwards.
