carehome.co.uk employee embarks on fundraising bike ride to buy oxygen tanks for Indians battling Covid

An employee at UK’s leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, is planning to ride 100 kms in a bid to raise £10,000 for oxygen concentrators for people battling Covid in India.

India is now at the epicentre of the global pandemic, recording over 22.6m coronavirus cases and 246,116 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The demand for oxygen from people with Covid has triggered widespread shortages which has led to people dying. Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, who works at Delhi's Manipal Hospital, described watching people gasping for air in the street like "fish out of water".

Determined to help, Gitesh Agrawal, at IT developer who works for the review sites, carehome.co.uk, homecare.co.uk and daynurseries.co.uk, has teamed up with nine other cyclists for a fundraising bike ride.

Mr Agrawal said: “The Covid-19 Second Wave has impacted India very badly. A lot of people are dying in India due to this new double mutant variant of Covid-19. It is spreading very fast and causing respiratory problems amongst the people and with cases rising rapidly, there is an acute shortage of oxygen and beds in the hospitals.

“I and some friends are organising a charity fundraiser 100km bike ride, called Ride to Breathe (R2B). We will be cycling to the Indian Temples on the outer London Circle and via Hyde Park to Tower Bridge, we will be doing a 100km bike ride and we are going to pray for the people of India.

“The funds raised through the bike ride will be donated to buy oxygen concentrators and other supplies and will be donated directly to charities operating on the ground in India.”

He added: "Doctors are unable to save their patients due to oxygen shortage and the situation is very grim out there. Oxygen is a basic human right and I think it's inhumane for someone to die due to a lack of oxygen."

Anyone wishing to donate to the fundraising bike ride which takes place on Sunday 16 May can click here