Halfords donates £100,000 to Kolkata hospital to fund Covid treatment

HALFORDS has donated £100,000 to the HOPE hospital in Kolkata to fund treatment for Covid patients.

HOPE’s small hospital in Kolkata is treating only Covid-19 patients, converting from a single 10 bed Covid ward during the first wave to what is now three wards with 52 beds.

Many of these patients are people from the streets and slums who would otherwise have no access to healthcare.

Since launching its Emergency Appeal on 16th April, HOPE has been overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters and companies, such as Halfords, who have donated an incredible £100,000 to contribute towards the vital supplies and running costs needed for the hospital crisis.

Neil Holden, Chief Information Officer of Halfords, said: “Like many UK organisations, we work closely with India’s talented and dedicated IT community. When the extent of the second wave of Covid in India became clear we felt we had to do something to show solidarity. We hope this donation will help provide additional care to the people of Kolkata in their hour of need.”

HOPE Hospital CEO Samiran Mallik said “It is very difficult to see our friends and colleagues struggle, risking their own lives to help those in great poverty and dire need right now. Their tireless dedication is both inspirational and heart breaking. The phone is constantly ringing, people are begging us to help their loved ones, as the situation becomes more and more desperate every day.”

“We are all living in a constant state of fear and can only be strong and do our best here to treat as many people as possible for as long as they need us. Thankfully, as a result of the kindness of donors like Halfords, our team here on the ground are working 7 days a week to act really quickly. We have been humbled by the extraordinary gesture and we thank you for helping to save the lives of our people”.

The wonderful outpouring of kindness arising from the appeal means that HOPE have now extended their emergency response to begin feeding those affected by the COVID crisis in the street and slum communities.

Kolkata is under partial lock-down. Daily labourers, migrant workers, and their families are running out of food. We need to reach these families and hand out food packs. In addition to food packs, the people in these communities will also receive medical support from HOPE hospital and our night-watch ambulances.

The organisation will continue to fundraise and fight for everyone affected by this horrendous pandemic and ongoing crisis. Every donation gratefully received will be used to help ease suffering.

The Hope Foundation has been working with the street and slum children and their communities in Kolkata since 1999. Since then HOPE has supported up to 2.9 million people living in dire poverty.