Gambhir pledges Rs 50 lakh from his MPLAD fund for COVID-19 treatment equipment

Nearly 500 confirmed Coronavirus cases have been reported in India thus far while 10 people have lost their lives.

Gautam Gambhir | Getty

In a humanitarian gesture, former India cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir on Monday (March 23) pledged Rs 50 lakh for Coronavirus treatment equipment.

See Also: Pathan brothers donate 4,000 masks amid growing Coronavirus cases in India

In a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Gambhir wrote: “In furtherance of the united effort to save our city and citizens from this pandemic, I would like to pledge Rs 50 lakh from my MPLAD fund for equipment that may be needed for COVID-19 treatment in state government hospitals.

“Kindly direct the officers in charge to let my office know about the requirements and please let me know if I could be off any other assistance.”

India observed a 14-hour Janata curfew on Sunday (March 22) to contain the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic on the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, there were some who violated the quarantine guidelines after the curfew period ended at 9 PM.

Advocating jail terms for the offenders, Gambhir also tweeted: “Khud bhee jayenge aur parivaar ko bhee leke jayenge, quarantine or jail (either you go to quarantine with family or you go to jail)”

“Don’t be a threat to society. We are at war for our existence, not for our livelihood. Follow the government’s lockdown guidelines,” he added.

As of Tuesday (March 24), the COVID-19 outbreak has claimed more than 16,000 lives and infected over 381,000 people globally.

In India, around 500 confirmed cases have been reported thus far while 10 people have lost their lives.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 24 Mar, 2020

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