Rotary Club of Belgaum Donated 6 Ventilators and Testing Machines to Civil Hospital

Rotary Club of Belgaum has donated 6 no’s of Top of Line Hamilton Ventilators (made in Switzerland) which can be used even on New Born Children, and one Rapid Multiple Disease Testing Machine which can also test Covid symptomatic Patient within one hour along with close to 900 Testing kits.

The ventilators were installed and commissioned on 6 August and are serving the COVID patients at BIMS.

Rotary-BIMS Life Support Program which was conceived by Rotary Club of Belgaum Under the leadership of Past President Rtn. Sharad Pai during April/May 2020 when the pandemic has just started in Belagavi. This is a Global Grant Program of Rotary International`s The Rotary Foundation (TRF).

The program is for close to Rs.80.00 lacs ($100,000.00) to supply state of art world class Hamilton Ventilators and a Disease Testing Machine which can test close to 150 tests in a day. This equipment was selected amongst many contenders for similar products. The application was approved by the TRF within 24 hrs. of applying which otherwise takes many days.

Dr. Vinay Dastikop, Director BIMS gave all infrastructural support and Human resources to establish this Hi Tech Critical Care program at Civil Hospital. This program is covered with 4 yrs. of AMC from the vendors.

Rotary Club of Belgaum raised close to Rs.45.00 lacs largely from Polyhydron Foundation (Rs.20.00 lacs), Jay Bharat Foundation of Ashok Iron Works Ltd. (Rs.10.00 lacs) and balance Rs. 5 lacs each from Diamond Metal Screens P.Ltd, Sneham Foundation, BTP Info Serve P. Ltd and surplus of Annotsav Project of the Club.

The Rotary Foundation matched another Rs.35.00 Lacs under their Global Grant Program.

Rtn. Akshay Kulkarni has coordinated the entire execution of the project which was ably supported by TRF Chairman Rtn. Sachin Sabnis, Rtn. Parag Bhandare, CA. Rtn. Yogesh Kulkarni, Rtn. Dr. Santosh Patil and present President Rtn.Dr. K.M. Keluskar.

This project would not have been possible without the support of Past District Governor and Rotary International leader Rtn. Avinash Potdar, DG Dr. Girish Masurkar, DRFC Rtn. Dr. Pranesh Jahagirdar, and Club president of the year 2019-20 Rtn. Jeevan Khatav.