At least 40 countries have extended their helping hand to India to help fight the second wave of coronavirus pandemic. To tide over this unprecedented situation, India is looking at getting around 550 oxygen generating plants, 4,000 oxygen concentrators and 10,000 oxygen cylinders from abroad.
NewsMobile has detailed information about the nature of assistance being offered by respective countries which have been been outlined in the report.
Briefing the media on Thursday about international assistance pouring in, Foreign Secretary Hash Vardhan Shringla also said that India is looking at procuring 400,000 units of Remdesivir medicine from Egypt besides exploring to get it from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
Shringla also stressed on the fact that the Centre focusing on procurement of oxygen generators, concentrators, oxygen cylinders, cryogenic tankers as well as liquid oxygen.
KEY DETAILS OF INTERNATIONAL AID ON NEWSMOBILE
US COVID-19 Assistance
Three military aircraft from US will bring Covid assistance items. Two are arriving tomorrow on 30 April – first one at 7 a.m. and the secondlater in the afternoon. Third is arriving on 3 May.
All aircraft will fly back immediately after offloading items. Therefore, crew do not need visas on arrival.
US Government will redirect from its own supplies 20 million doses of Astra Zeneca vaccines (timeline will be conveyed).
20,000 treatment courses of Remdesivir antiviral drug will be sent early next week.
Consignee of assistance will be Indian Red Cross.
They are supplying from their own stock millipore filters (36 Nos.), each of which will enable manufacture of 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccines in India.
The US wants to supply 17 oxygen generator plants.
Gulf COVID-19 Assistance
UAE
• The first shipment of Oxygen from UAE is expected to commence later today or tomorrow. This will carry 140 MT tonnes of Liquid Oxygen.
Bahrain
• There is also a shipment expected to come from Bahrain (40 MT) as a gift from that country. This shipment will be sent using Indian Navy ships already in the region. This is also expected to commence from Bahrain later today or tomorrow.
Kuwait
Following assistance has been indicated
• 185 Metric Tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (7 ISO Tanks of 20 MT capacity and 3 semi-trailers of 25 MT capacity each)
• 1000 Oxygen Cylinders (details to be confirmed)
• Oxygen concentrators (quantity and details to be confirmed)
• They have indicated that they would be able to refill the aforementioned ISO tanks/ semi-trailers at least 7 times.
VACCINE PUSH: FOREIGN SECRETARY RESPONDS TO NEWSMOBILE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In response to a question by NewsMobile Editor-in-Chief Saurabh Shukla, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla explained India’s global engagement strategy to deal with the second wave of #COVID-19. He outlined that the battle against the virus cannot be fought in isolation and has to be fought on a global scale.
SUPPLIES FROM CHINA
Foreign Secretary also informed that some essential medical supplies and equipment to combat the COVID-19 surge in India are being sourced from China.
“We know that number of companies in India have been sourcing products. I mentioned that companies who have been active in sourcing our priority requirements, be it oxygen generators, concentrators, pharmaceuticals, etc and some of it is coming from China and is being sourced from China,” said Shringla.
“Cargo flights are also operating and some of the equipment is coming in, some of it is being sourced but I think this is part of meeting the requirements in an effective manner as possible,” he added.
VACCINE PUSH: FOREIGN SECRETARY RESPONDS TO NEWSMOBILE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In response to a question by NewsMobile Editor-in-Chief Saurabh Shukla, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla explained India’s global engagement strategy to deal with the second wave of #COVID-19. He outlined that the battle against the virus cannot be fought in isolation and has to be fought on a global scale.