Hyderabad: Families opt for crowdfunding to cover hospital bills

Hyderabad: The second wave has been more devastating than the former and left most of them in financial trouble. The healthcare infrastructure is too strained to handle the rising numbers. An online crowdfunding platform, ImpactGuru.com has raised over Rs 2 crore to help Covid-19 patients.

Amongst the crowdfunding cases on ImpactGuru is that of a patient suffering from Covid, currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city. The patient is in a critical condition and the doctors have advised for an ECMO treatment, Rs 2 lakh per day, in addition to other hospital expenses. The patient's 3-year-old twin babies are also awaiting their Covid test reports.

Further, the patient's extended family is also getting hospitalised as even they have been tested positive for Covid. In three days, 700+ donors have come forward and contributed over Rs 15 lakh on ImpactGuru, for this case.

Crowdfunding is an alternative method of raising funds online for medical expenses, with the patient (or his/her friends or family) primarily relying on social media networks to mobilize donors to finance the relevant medical bills. Several other kin of Covid-19 patients are also opting for crowdfunding.

As the country fights the second wave, the crowdfunding portal is raising funds for oxygen concentrators, PPE kits, and also for ration distribution.