Aster Volunteers, the CSR arm of UAE-based Aster DM Healthcare, has entered into a partnership that would set up a 50 bed Covid-19 field hospital in India’s capital city of New Delhi. The partnership is signed with Al Shifa Multispecialty Hospital. The field hospital is aimed to support patients who need financial support and are in critical care need.

Under the agreement, Aster seeks to support the development of the medical facility and ensure establishment and availability if critical infrastructure. Al Shifa would be handling operations of the hospital. Funds will be directed to purchase patient beds, medical equipment and other items needed to operate the field hospital.

Dr Azad Moopen, Founder-Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, said, “India requires aggressive measures at the moment to be able to tackle the current situation. Our 14 hospitals in India, spread across Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, are at a war-footing to serve as many COVID-19 positive patients as possible. However, there is a sharp increase in the requirement for hospital beds being faced on a daily basis in major cities like Delhi, especially among the financially weaker segments of society.”

The group is also going to offer 50% discount on emergency critical surgeries like transplants, cardiac and oncology surgeries for disadvantaged patients in Kerala.

Arif Ali from Human Welfare Trust that runs Al Shifa Multispecialty Hospital said, “While we are doing everything we can to help as many patients in Delhi and NCR, it is still far from enough and the situation is getting worse by the day.”