INDIA. Mumbai: As India battles, a devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic, countries around the world have assured emergency medical supplies to help it tide over the situation, and consignments of supplies have begun arriving in India.
The United States on Friday delivered its first consignment of emergency medical supplies including much-needed oxygen cylinders and regulators. The medical equipments and other supplies were brought to Delhi in a C-5M Super Galaxy, one of the largest strategic airlift aircraft of the US Air Force.
“The first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments from the United States has arrived in India! Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together, the US Embassy tweeted. In a tweet, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said healthcare partnership between India and the US can help effectively tackle the global pandemic. Deeply appreciate the gift of 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators and other medical supplies from the USA he said.
Russia has delivered 20 tonnes of medical supplies comprising oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and medicines. Romania has provided medical supplies including 80 oxygen concentrators and 75 oxygen cylinders. The Government of Djibouti has sent 428 packets weighing 5954 kgs of medicines. The gift of medicines comes close after the gift of 50 tons of food grains by India to Djibouti on November 11, 2020.
“India has been committed to the socio-economic development of Djibouti through Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), The Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR), and other training programs of Government of India. This is also in line with India’s time tested principle of “Vasudev Kutumbkam”(World is one family) and also guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement during his visit to Uganda in 2018 that ‘Africa will be at the top of our priorities and we will continue to intensify and deepen our engagement with Africa”, Ambassador of India to Djibouti Ashok Kumar said.
At a recent media briefing, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India is looking at getting around 550 oxygen-generating plants, 4,000 oxygen concentrators, over 10,000 oxygen cylinders, and 17 cryogenic oxygen tanks with 40 countries committing to provide urgently required supplies to India. India will also be receiving 450,000 doses of Remdesivir from Gilead Sciences, USA, 300,000 doses of Favipiravir from countries such as Russia and UAE. India is trying to procure Remdesivir from Egypt (400,000 doses), Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and UAE, he added.
The supplies received so
The emergency medical supplies received so far include USA- 200 Oxygen (size D) cylinders with regulators, 223 Oxygen (size H) cylinders with regulators, 210 pulse oximeters, 1,84,000 abbot rapid diagnostic test kits, and 84,000 N-95 face masks. Russia-20 tonnes of medical supplies, Germany-23 oxygen generation plants, Singapore-256 oxygen cylinders, Argentina-200,000 COVID-19 vaccines, UAE- 157 ventilators, 480 Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure machines (BiPAP), Djibouti-428 packets weighing 5954 kgs of medicines, Romania- 80 oxygen concentrators and 75 oxygen cylinders and Ireland- 700 oxygen concentrators. Thailand/Dubai/Singapore-Oxygen tankers, containers.
The countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait, Mauritius, Thailand, Ireland, Singapore, and UAE.
India will be taking assistance from all quarters, even at a government-to-government level, in a marked move in the country’s stand on grants and assistance to India. It will be the first-ever since the Indian government refused aid after the country was hit by Tsunami in December 2004.
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