The Arada Foundation is sending over 1,000 pieces of vitally needed medical equipment to the Indian state of Kerala to support the local government’s efforts to combat the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The donation by the Sharjah-based developer’s humanitarian arm was made via the Care for Kerala initiative, which has been set up by the Government of Kerala.
Items being donated by the Arada Foundation include Dräger Savina ventilators, Philips EV300 portable ventilators, oxygen concentrators and fingertip pulse oximeters, together amounting to a total value of INR1 crore (Dhs500,000).
HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada, said: “The UAE and Kerala have a longstanding shared history with extensive cultural, business and family ties. Sharjah is home to many members of the Malayali expatriate community and a substantial number of Arada’s workforce is from Kerala.
“With that in mind, we believe that it is Arada’s duty to reach out and support the Keralite community during these extremely challenging times.
The medical equipment is currently being sourced from manufacturers, who will deliver it directly to the Government of Kerala. They will then be distributed to hospitals around the south Indian state, which have been suffering from a lack of emergency equipment due to the significant rise in case numbers in recent months.
Care for Kerala was set up following an appeal by the state’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, who called on expatriate Keralites living around the world to support their home state in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative is supported by Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA) Roots, an agency set up to act as an interface between Keralites living outside their home state and the Government of Kerala.
The Arada Foundation was set up earlier this year to consolidate and structure Arada’s previous corporate social responsibility and philanthropic activities. The Foundation has been created to serve communities in need both within the UAE and abroad, using Arada’s internal funds.