During the COVID-19 pandemic the hospitals and healthcare systems across the globe were under high pressure. The number of ICU beds and medical supplies available did not match the huge inflow of patients. The same was the case with government-run hospitals, as well as privately-run hospitals. People started dying on the streets when hospitals stopped taking COVID-19 patients, as all the beds were already full. Compounding the troubles of COVID-19 patients was the shortage of medical supplies and oxygen. These gruesome and pathetic conditions were not limited to not one region or nation definitely it was a global phenomenon.

COVID-19 had a devastating impact on the lives of poor, needy and unprivileged. In the under-developed and developing countries, the condition of the poor and the unprivileged was too pathetic. With nation-wide lockdowns in force, there was no work, no business, no food, no water, no medical facilities, and above all everyone was forced to stay indoors. The daily wage labourers in India were the hardest hit, as there was no work. Labour working in construction, industry and households left cities in scores, and walked miles together to reach their native villages. The economic activity of India came to a standstill. Every section of the community were affected by the lockdowns of COVID-19. Disease, hunger, and death were looming large at every nook and corner of India.

In this fateful and cursed COVID-19 conditions, a few philanthropist-run healthcare establishments and hospitals rose to the occasion. Driven by a strong commitment and social objective to serve the needy, hospitals across India collaborated with the NGOs. Their basic objective was to meet the medical supplies and make healthcare facilities greatly accessible to the needy and unprivileged of the society. However, someone had to initiate the collaboration process between hospitals and NGOs. A ray of hope was seen as Citizens for Hope’s focused efforts at bridging dedicated NGOs with social service oriented hospitals. Citizens for Hope continues its mission to connect the NGOs with hospitals to further collaborative efforts to bring medical supplies and healthcare facilities to the needy and unprivileged.