Family of Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of US, sends medical supplies to hospitals in Madikeri and Mandya 

MYSURU: The family of Vivek Murthy, the vice admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has decided to donate COVID related medical supplies to hospitals in Madikeri and Mandya districts. 

The father of the Surgeon General of the US, Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy said that the shipment containing 70 oxygen concentrators, four ventilators, N95 masks, respirator masks, step transformer pieces and cleaning supplies worth Rs 1.40 crore will soon arrive on behalf of the Scope Foundation.

Speaking with The New Indian Express, Murthy said that the supplies will be distributed in 12 smaller hospitals as these are short on medical resources, further adding that only taluk hospitals and two village PHCs have been selected. The foundation is trying to send more material worth Rs 70 lakh soon from New Delhi so that it can be distributed to other PHCs. 

The consignment contains 70 oxygen concentrators with adapter, 25 digital oral thermometers, 1,96,000 K95 face masks, 5000 full face shields, 5000 forehead foam, 300 surgical earlobe masks, 1200 medical face shields, 400 nitrile powder-free gloves, 50 oxygen cannula and five voltage transformers. The supplies have reached Bengaluru and will be handed over to the districts on Monday. 

Vivek Murthy’s cousin Vasanth informed that the medical supplies will be handed over in his native village Hallegere, Mandya, Maddur, Malavalli, Nagamangla and other places, further adding that plans to build a Covid ward at the cost of Rs one crore are also in the pipeline.

Indian-American physician Vivek Murthy was confirmed by the US Senate as President Joe Biden's surgeon general. The 43-year-old Murthy has occupied this position for the second time. In 2011, then president Barack Obama had tapped him to serve on the advisory group on prevention, health promotion, and integrative and public health.