Gautam Gambhir pledges Rs 50 lakh more to battle COVID-19

6 April,New Delhi: Former India cricketer and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir has pledged to donate Rs 50 lakh more to the Delhi Government for procurement of medical equipment and treatment of COVID-19 patients in the national capital.

In a letter, Gambhir said: "It is stated by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia that funds are needed to meet the growing demand for medical equipment in several Delhi Government hospitals."

"In addition to Rs 50 lakh which I pledged two weeks ago, I would further like to pledge Rs 50 lakh from my MP LAD to your kind office with the hope that the said amount would be useful in the procurement of equipment for medical staff and treatment of COVID-19 patients.
"Kindly direct the officers-in-charge to share requirements with my office. During this time of pandemic, the welfare of the citizens of Delhi is of utmost importance," it added.

The East Delhi MP has already pledged to donate his two years' salary towards Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) set up for fight against coronavirus pandemic.

He has already released Rs one crore out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund towards the relief efforts amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Before that, the BJP MP had said that his foundation, Gautam Gambhir Foundation, was distributing food packets to poor people in his constituency in New Delhi. East Delhi has a large number of daily wage labourers and many were not able to make arrangements for their food due to the 21-day lockdown.

Over 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported so far in the country and more than 100 lives have been lost. In Delhi itself, more than 500 cases have been reported and several people have lost their lives due to COVID-19.