Covid-19: Amid Surge In Cases, Global Aid And Support Pours In For India

Reflecting solidarity and goodwill towards India, the global community has extended a helping hand in supporting the efforts of India in the collective fight against Covid-19.

The government has been receiving international donations and aid for Covid-19 relief and medical supplies and equipment since April 27 from different countries and organisations.

Till now, 6,738 Oxygen Concentrators, 3,856 Oxygen Cylinders, 16 Oxygen Generation Plants, 4,668 ventilators/Bi PAP, and about 3 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/dispatched from April 27 to May 8, 2021.

Major items received on May 8 from Canada, Thailand, Netherland, Austria, Czech Republic, Israel, USA, Japan, Malaysia, US (GILEAD), US (Salesforce) and the Indian community in Thailand includes Oxygen Concentrators (2404), Remdesivir (25,000), Ventilators (218) and Testing Kits (6,92,208).

The Republic of Korea, which stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in this hour of crisis, has also extended its helping hand to fight the crisis in the country by way of providing urgent medical supplies.

The consignments of medical supplies from Korea, containing 230 oxygen concentrators, 200 oxygen cylinders with regulators and 100 negative pressure isolation stretchers arrived at IGI Airport on Sunday.

The Korean supplies will be donated to the Indian Red Cross Society.

These first and second consignments of medical items account for around 20 per cent of the whole support plan, and Korea will send more medical supplies as soon as it secures the supplies and flight schedules.

On receiving the urgent medical supplies, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, Shin Bongkil, said, “I hope this supply will be helpful to ease the Covid-19 emergency situation in India. The Korean government will continue to work closely with the Indian Government in responding to
the unfolding challenges amid the pandemic."

The government has designed a streamlined and systematic mechanism for effective allocation, and prompt distribution and delivery of the support supplies received by India.

This will help to supplement the medical infrastructure of tertiary care institutions and recipient States/UTs, and strengthen their clinical management capacities for effective management of hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

Effective immediate allocation, and streamlined delivery to the recipient states/UTs and institutions is an ongoing exercise. This is being comprehensively monitored by the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis.

Professor Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi, thanked all donors for sending foreign aid in form of medical equipment — Ventilators, Oxygen Cylinders and Oxygen Concentrators — to fight the huge surge of cases.

He also expressed his deep gratitude to those who have helped in fighting the pandemic.

Meanwhile, delivery of medical cargo continues uninterrupted from Kolkata Airport as it is playing a key role in this fight against Covid-19.

The nation is fighting a severe battle against the Corona Virus and in this crisis period, supply of medical essentials like Vaccines, Oxygen Concentrators, Oximeters and other essentials are of utmost importance.

In this fight, the Civil Aviation Ministry and various airports and airlines and their corona warriors are playing their role by ensuring uninterrupted supply of all the medical essentials coming in or going out of various cities/states.