iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Indian American, Dr. Avinash Gupta, Chief of Cardiology and President-elect of the medical staff at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC) in New Jersey, has been honored for his exemplary work in public health and social service, especially for COVID-19-related relief and humanitarian work in India and the US.
“Being involved with community groups and helping others has always been my passion. Community service is very rewarding and fulfilling. It has enriched me as a person,” said Gupta who received the humanitarian award from the Monmouth Medical Center-Southern Campus Gupta at a function in New Jersey on Diwali eve.
Gupta is being hailed for his humanitarian work during the pandemic. He led a team of 50 doctors and healthcare professionals who vaccinated 3,500 Indian Americans in Ocean County in the state of New Jersey. During his tenure as president of the Monmouth and Ocean AAPI Chapter, the organization donated $150,000 to Fulfill, a food bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
The Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal congratulated Dr. Gupta on getting the honor. Jaiswal said that the community has seen Gupta’s commitment to serving people during the pandemic in the US and in India. His service is an inspiration for many, Jaiswal said.
Deputy Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph said that Gupta’s support during the pandemic, including the invaluable online consultations to COVID patients in rural corners of Jharkhand and Bihar, sending medicines and equipment to those in distress and need, and extending financial assistance to the underprivileged is an inspiration for members of the Indian diaspora around the world.
When the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit India, Gupta launched a teleconsultation service that provided relief to the poor and needy. Dr. Gupta and his wife Dr. Geeta Gupta helped more than 1,000 patients. He also raised over $250,000 for medical relief in India and helped AASTHA, a Patna-based NGO to establish a 10-bed COVID Care Center. They also have helped numerous Indian students arriving in the US for training, workshops, conferences, and internships.
Dr. Gupta who hails from Jharkhand had completed his graduation from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi. Gupta coordinated with other doctors to arrange medicines and send oxygen concentrators to India. During the pandemic, he virtually reached out to many Indians in the US, who did not have medical insurance and were unable to visit a medical facility during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Chairman Bihar Foundation US, ETZ, and past FIA president Alok Kumar congratulated Gupta on the honor while Chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) Ankur Vaidya said that Dr. Gupta has served the community as a cardiologist and as a selfless philanthropist and that it “states volumes about his love and care for both the motherland and our great homeland that of the USA.”
