Leading UAE businessman Dr Shamsheer Vayalil has stepped forward to help the Indian coronavirus crisis by dedicating a 500-bed hospital to the treatment of infected patients. As the founder of one of the region’s largest private providers, VPS Healthcare, Dr Vayalil has responded to increasing numbers of coronavirus cases in India by offering the Delhi-NCR Medeor speciality hospital to help healthcare services cope with demand. In a letter to India’s Ministry of Health, he commended healthcare workers, officials and volunteers for their tireless efforts to stem the outbreak. Life in New Delhi has almost ground to halt after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown until at least April 15. Millions of Indians who rely on daily earnings are now out of work. Many have fled their homes due to fears the virus could spread rapidly through cramped living conditions where there is a shortage of regular clean water. According to government figures, 867 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in India, with 25 deaths. More than 1.5 million people are said to have been screened at airports and a $22 billion (Dh80.8bn) stimulus package has been enacted to help feed 800 million people with lentils and grains for the next three months. The Medeor hospital in Manesar, Delhi, has formed a task force of specialist doctors, nurses and other staff to deal with an anticipated surge in cases of Covid-19. The VPS Healthcare group operates three hospitals in Delhi under the name of Medeor. This month, a team of nurses from the VPS group were sent to screen passengers arriving into Abu Dhabi International Airport for two weeks.