The first emergency Covid-19 relief shipment from the United States arrived in Delhi on Friday, said the US embassy.
“Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together,” the embassy tweeted.
The supply comes at a time when India is reeling under the second wave of the pandemic. The medical infrastructure has crumbled under the stress and there is an acute shortage of medical supplies, including oxygen, as India continues to report an alarming number of daily infections.
On Friday, India registered 3,86,452 coronavirus cases, pushing the overall count of infections to 1,87,62,976 since the pandemic first broke out in India in January 2020. This is the highest ever single-day rise in cases reported by any country so far, and the ninth consecutive day when India has recorded more than 3 lakh cases. With 3,498 deaths, the toll climbed to 2,08,330.
The emergency aid from the US includes more than 400 oxygen cylinders, nearly one million (10 lakh) rapid coronavirus tests and other hospital equipment, reported AFP. The delivery took place after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Monday.
After the talks, Biden had tweeted: “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need.”
More supplies will continue in the next week. “The United States is delivering supplies worth more than $100 million [over Rs 740 crore] in the coming days to provide urgent relief to our partners in India,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday.
Various countries, including Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Germany, Singapore and Russia, have also promised to help India with the health crisis.
According to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, more than 40 countries have committed to sending vital medical aid. The supplies include about 550 oxygen-generating plants, more than 4,000 oxygen concentrators, 10,000 oxygen cylinders as well as 17 cryogenic tankers. Shringla said that the countries were sending hundreds of thousands of coronavirus doses as well as raw materials to produce vaccines and medicines.
“It is an unprecedented situation,” the foreign secretary added.
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